Tag Archives: alcohol

Santos Reyes, 26, in Etowah County, AL, Killed in Semi Crash

April 25, 2015 Mike

Who:

Santos Reyes, 26, was killed at around 2:30 AM on 3/31/14 by the 178.7 mile marker on I-59 in Etowah County, AL, when he crashed his northbound 1999-era Volkswagen Jetta into a southbound tractor-trailer. He died at the scene, while the trailer driver was uninjured.

How:

Per reports, Reyes was driving northbound in the southbound lanes when the collision occurred. He was not wearing a seat belt, and investigators believe alcohol was a factor in the crash. His car ended in the median while the tractor-trailer ended in roadside brush.

Why:

This appears to be a textbook case of wrong way driving caused by alcohol impairment leading to a high speed head on collision. I’ve written about cases involving alcohol before, and fatal wrong way collisions almost always seem to involve impairment.

Looking at the forces, the 1999-era Jetta weighed ~2932 lbs and was received a “good” frontal score. It was impacted by a semi trailer, which can weigh at least 36,000 lbs. That’s at least 1228% of the simulated weight the Jetta would have experienced in an IIHS front impact test.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 4.93MJ of energy into the Jetta. The standard front impact test for the Jetta simulates 213KJ of energy (a Jetta impacting its twin at 40 mph). In other words, the Jetta faced 2315% of the force it would have experienced in the types of crashes Jettas are front rated for. Given these forces, he had no chance of survival.

I rarely cover car vs. semi, bus, dump, or garbage truck head-on crashes because the survival rates are essentially zero. I added this case as a reference of both what to expect in such crashes and as one more data point regarding the dangers of driving intoxicated and driving the wrong way down undivided highways. Fortunately, Reyes did not collide with a regular vehicle, or there would almost certainly have been several innocent fatalities to accompany his death.

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No Fatalities: Megan Ogden, 38, in Biddeford, NH, Drunk Crash

November 19, 2014 Mike

Who:

Megan H. Ogden, 38, of Arundel, drove her 2011 Honda Pilot at around 3 PM on 2/3/14 westbound on Alewive Road, close to Kennebunk Elementary, and caused a single vehicle collision. She was injured, as were her two children, aged 7 and 9.

How:

Megan was westbound and close to the elementary school when she drove the Pilot off the road, between a pair of trees, and into a rock retaining wall. She then rolled the Pilot and the vehicle ended up upright. She then drove away from the scene, continuing westbound on Alewive, before stopping the Pilot by a business. The Pilot suffered heavy structural damage with deployments of front and side airbags, a pair of flat tires, a shattered windshield, and significant intrusion and roof collapse above the front passenger cabin, as visible in the image. Megan suffered a broken nose and various lacerations, while her children also suffered lacerations. Police stated the DHS alerted them to a potential issue, and they drew Megan’s blood at the hospital, leading to the OUI charge. Megan has pled not guilty and now awaits trial.

Why:

This is a rather straightforward case of drunk driving that could easily have turned fatal under only slightly different circumstances, such as if she had driven the Pilot into oncoming traffic or into trees or buildings. However, with that said, what interests me most here is the crashworthiness of the vehicle that kept her and her children safe throughout the collision.

The 2011 Pilot has “good” front moderate overlap and side impact scores, but a “poor” small frontal overlap and “marginal” roof strength score. The deployment of the side airbags most likely saved the children and mother from experiencing severe injury or death during the rollover, while the front airbag helped the mother when she drove into the rock wall. The roof score, however, was also highly relevant, as its ability to retain much of its integrity prevented the family from being crushed during the rollover. Notice, however, the degree of roof intrusion over the front passenger cabin; it is likely that an individual sitting in that seat may have suffered serious injury or death. This is why crashworthiness is so important.

Of course, the biggest lesson from this story is not to drive drunk. However, additional factors also played a role in the family’s survival here. It is also likely that the children were strapped into booster seats such as those found in the Diono Rainier, that accommodates children up to 120 pounds, as booster seats significantly reduce the risk of injury or death to children in collisions by ensuring the seat belt is placed securely around the child’s lap and shoulder. Remember not to rush putting children into seat belts; booster seats exist for a reason, and are the better choice for most children until they’re 10-12 years old.

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Ashley Chieco, 26, in Old Bridge, NJ, Killed in SUV vs. Car Crash

November 9, 2014 Mike

Who:

Ashley Chieco, 26, was killed at around 6 PM of 8/16/13 in Old Bridge, New Jersey, when she drunkenly drove a stolen 2011 Hyundai Tucson and crashed into Dana S. Corrar, 55, from Old Bridge. The collision occurred in the southbound lanes of Route 18. Corrar drove a 2000 BMW 323.

Chieco died at the scene while Corrar was severely injured with fractures to both legs and ankles, rib injuries, a punctured lung, and cervical and spine damage. It is estimated that she will not walk for another year. Her daughter dropped out of college to care for her. She was a nurse, mother, and grandmother who had been homebound on a 35 mile drive when struck by Chieco, and it is thought that she might never return to work again.

Chieco, meanwhile, was a crisis counselor, psychology professor, and a recent graduate with a master’s degree in psychology. At the time of the collision, Chieco had traveling home to assist her father in celebrating his 58th birthday. She had recently left Martell’s Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, and was trying to drive 70 miles to reach her home in Wood-Ridge.

How:

Per various reports, Chieco entered Martell’s Tiki Bar at around 11 AM and had consumed numerous 20-ounce vodka-related drinks as well as shots at the bar before she mistook another vehicle for hers in the bar’s parking lot at 5:30 PM when she left. The bar had an established policy of requesting patrons leave their keys in their vehicles to make them easier to move. Chieco then drove north for 30 miles, swerving to avoid vehicles along the way, before she collided with Corrar. She drove the wrong way, northbound in the southbound lane, and caused the head-on collision. Her autopsied BAC was .189, and her stomach was empty.

Corrar’s attorney, Paul Edelstein, is suing Martells and states he believes the bartenders at Martell’s continued to serve Chieco despite her visible intoxication, and that there were no means to keep her from taking someone else’s vehicle and driving away while drunk. Chieco’s parents are also part of the suit against Martell’s, and state their daughter was over-served. The mayor of the borough, Vincent Barrella, argued that the license of the bar shouldn’t have been renewed until the case was completely resolved, but the Point Pleasant Beach council decided 4-0 to renew the license anyway.

Why:

This is another sad case of alcohol use leading to a fatality, as are 1 of every 3 traffic deaths in this country, year after year.

So many things went wrong that night, but I find myself siding with the suit against the bar. It is incredibly irresponsible to serve alcohol in a location where patrons are asked to leave their keys in their vehicles, and it would have been impossible not to notice a person as inebriated as Chieco was not capable of driving a vehicle. She should not have been allowed to enter any vehicles that night, and while she was ultimately responsible for her tragic death and the injuries imparted to Corrar, she would not have been in a position to drive away had the bar spent less time serving her alcohol and more time ensuring individuals were not allowed to drive away under the influence. A bar capable of tracking individuals’ tabs in order to obtain payment before patrons left is certainly a bar capable of calculating when individuals would not legally be capable of driving. Additionally, it is against the law to serve alcohol to patrons who are already drunk, and has been for decades.

Furthermore, the decision of the counsel to renew the license of the bar is as clear evidence as one needs of the corruption that becomes inevitable when morals and money collide. The bar was extremely irresponsible in its practices toward patrons and the counsel rewarded that irresponsibility in order to keep its funds flowing.

More broadly, this is also the result of a society with one of the highest legal drinking limits in the rich world, at .08, instead of at .02 – .05, the way it is in so many other countries.

The 2010 Tucson weighs 3357 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It collided with a 2000 323 that weighs 3347 lbs, or almost exactly the Tucson’s weight, and also comes with a “good” frontal score. As a result, each vehicle essentially ran into its twin, weight-wise, meaning neither vehicle had a significant advantage from a weight perspective.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~65 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 643KJ of energy into each vehicle. Each vehicle’s frontal impact test simulates 243KJ of energy (a Tucson/323 impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, each driver faced 264% of the force she’d have experienced in the type of crash her car was rated for. Given the forces of the collision, I would have expected both drivers to have a fair, though low, chance of survival. However, the description of Corrar’s injuries shows the extent to which your life can be altered irrevocably, even as a survivor, from an auto collision. She has injuries she will never fully recover from, and her life trajectory has been permanently altered through no fault of her own, due to a set of circumstances wholly preventable and completely unrelated to her life.

This was ultimately a wholly preventable tragedy. There is *no* safe amount of alcohol you can consume when you plan to drive.

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Marcela Pacheco Garciaguirre, 23, in Costa Mesa, CA, Killed in Car vs. Pickup Crash

November 6, 2014 Mike

Who:

Marcela Pacheco Garciaguirre, 23, from Irvine, was killed in Costa Mesa, California, just after 10 PM on Saturday, May 31st, 2014, close to the northbound I-405 Freeway off ramp and Harbor Boulevard. She drove a 2013 Kia Optima and her passenger was also injured. She was killed by Brandon Anthony Alvarez, 22, from Anaheim, who drove a 2012 Nissan Titan.

How:

Per police reports, Alvarez hit and drove away from a collision he caused at around 10 PM at Date Place and Harbor Boulevard. The driver he hit suffered minor injuries. Alvarez drove until he then crashed into the driver’s side of Marcela’s Optima, which was leaving an I-405 off-ramp. Marcela died at the scene, while her passenger, a 26-year-old man from Irvine, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Alvarez tried to flee the second crash on foot, but was apprehended and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. He faces DUI, vehicular manslaughter, and hit and run charges, and was released on $100,000 bail the following day. At least one dozen beer cans were found scattered along the highway from Alvarez’s vehicle.

Why:

This is yet another sad case of drunk driving and speeding, which together claim tens of thousands of lives in the US each year. Each is implicated in 1/3 of all auto deaths in the country, and they certainly overlap in many cases, such as here.

The 2013 Optima weighs 3297 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS side score with an “acceptable” structural score. It was impacted by a 2012 Titan that weighs 4768 lbs.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~65 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 913KJ of energy into the Optima / Titan. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Optima faced 638% of the force it would have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. It is sadly understandable that the victim succumbed to these forces. The fact that her passenger survived is surprising, as in severe car side impacts I’ve studied where the driver dies, the front passenger, if there is one, usually dies as well. Alvarez, who experienced a frontal vs a side collision, was far more likely to survive the collision, especially given the mass of his vehicle, and did.

This was ultimately a wholly preventable tragedy. The collision that led to the fatality occurred because an individual repeatedly chose to break the law while behind the wheels of a 2.5 ton missile. It is yet another indication of how much of a problem drunk driving is in our society, as is the issue of heavy vehicles in the hands of irresponsible citizens. Day after day, loved ones are witnesses to how many lives are lost, and lives forever changed.

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Delfin Ignacio, 45, in Port Orchard, WA, Killed in Car vs. Pickup Crash

September 22, 2014 Mike

Who:

Delfin Ignacio, 45, was killed at around 10 PM on 5/22/14 just east of Port Orchard, Washington, on State Highway 16. He drove a 1998 Ford Escort ZX2 the wrong way down the highway and crashed into a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Anthony Swinsinski, 27, just before the off ramp for Mullenix Road.

How:

Per police reports, troopers received calls about Ignacio due to his erratic westbound highway driving. He then turned and started heading east in the westbound lanes of SH 16, which led to his collision with the Silverado. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while Swinsinski required 10 minutes of extrication and suffered a broken ankle. Police stated alcohol was a factor in the crash, which made it at least the 3rd time Ignacio had driven drunk.

Why:

Once again, alcohol was the root of a wrong-way head-on crash. One out of every 3 deaths on our roads occur due to alcohol, and these kinds of crashes explain why. The history of the drunk driver also points to the clear and present need to reform our drinking laws in the United States. He had been arrested for driving drunk on two separate occasions (2003 and 2009), and yet was still eligible to drive and decided to drive drunk again that night.

The 1998 Escort weighs 2538 lbs and comes with an “acceptable” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 2000 Silverado that weighs 4709 lbs, or 186% of the Escort’s weight. As a result, the Escort automatically faced 86% more force in the collision than it would have colliding with another Escort, placing it at a severe disadvantage in the collision.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 646KJ of energy into the Escort. The Escort frontal impact test simulates 184KJ of energy (an Escort impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Escort faced 351% of the force it would have experienced in the type of crash the vehicle was rated for. Given these forces, death was a near-certainty.

The Silverado’s frontal test simulates 341KJ of energy (a Silverado impacting another at 40 mph), indicating that its occupant would have faced 102% of the forces the vehicle was rated to safely withstand, given that the Escort imparted 348KJ of energy into the Chevy. Despite the marginal “front” score, this was clearly a survivable collision for the Chevy’s occupant, which was reflected in the survival of the driver with nothing more than a shattered ankle.

Once again, the decision to drink and drive led to a needless death. Fortunately, the individual who had been driving sober and legally did not lose his life in the process. However, the lives of the men involved and those who loved them will be forever altered, as is always the case in these tragedies.

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35,000 Americans will die this year on the road. You don't have to be one of them. A car seat and car safety blog to promote best practices for families.