Tag Archives: crash

Rachel Delisle, 30, and 3 in Jacksonville, NC, Killed in Crash

November 18, 2014 Mike

Who:

Rachel Elizabeth Delisle, 30, was killed at around 5PM on Saturday, 2/15/14, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, at the Highways 258 and 53 intersections, where Burgaw and Richlands Highway meet, when her 2001-2007 Toyota Sequoia was t-boned by a 2006-era Hyundai Sonata driven by Saquan Nelson, 24, with Darius Williams, 16, and Jonathan Cooper, 25, as vehicle passengers. All four adults were killed. The only survivor was Gabriel Delisle, the 6-month-old son of Rachel. Rachel was married to Lt. Jason Deslile, and they had three children together, all boys.

How:

Per police reports, the Sonata was traveling at close to 100 mph in a zone with a 45 mph speed limit. Per witnesses, the vehicle had been weaving through traffic before it entered NC 53 in the wrong lanes. The driver ran a red light and impacted the passenger side of the Sequoia. Both vehicles flew to the other end of the intersection, and the Sonata was split in half by a pole. There was only one survivor: the 6-month-old securely strapped into his car seat, which police credited with saving his life. He received a few bruises and cuts but was otherwise fine.

Why:

This is another sad case resulting from speeding, which is implicated in 1 out of every 3 auto deaths in the US. It is also a fatality that resulted from a failure to yield at a red light. It is unclear why Nelson was speeding.

The 2001-era Sequoia weighs ~5100 lbs and does not have any kind of side score from the NHTSA or IIHS. It comes with head and torso side airbags in the front seats. The 2006 Sonata weighs ~3535 lbs and comes with a “good” frontal score.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (100 mph, or 55 mph above the 45 mph PSL), the collision likely imparted at least 1.6MJ of energy into the Sequoia / Sonata. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Sequoia faced 1119% of the force it would have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. Besides that, it didn’t have a side rating, which means it was not designed to adequately protect occupants from the standard simulation. It is sadly understandable that the mother succumbed to these forces. Similarly, the men in the Sonata experienced 625% of the force their vehicle was designed to safely sustain (256KJ), which made their deaths inevitable. In the end, this was a completely needless collision that claimed four lives needlessly.

The part of this story that speaks to me most, however, is the survival of her son. Despite the unimaginably high forces imparted upon the vehicle and the severe degree of structural intrusion visible in the photos above, the child lived. Why?

I’ve written before extensively about the importance of choosing the right car seat and properly restraining children, and this is a textbook example of the advantage properly-restrained children have, even in severe collisions. Gabriel was restrained in a rear-facing car seat, which was both the law for children his age and best practices for children up to at least 4. Properly restrained children can survive crashes that would otherwise be unsurvivable.

This is another sad example of how the rear-facing and properly installed car seat can turn into the orphan seat in a severe collision. Fortunately, Gabriel will still have a father and two siblings to grow up with. It’s a tragedy, however, that his siblings are left without a mother, and his father without his best friend.

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Deana May Igoe, 86, in Sisters, OR, Killed in Car vs. SUV Crash

November 12, 2014 Mike

Who:

Deana May Igoe, 86, was killed at around 9:15 AM on Monday, 4/28/14, on Highway 20 close to Santiam Pass, just west of Sisters, OR. She was eastbound in a 2008 Ford Fusion and collided with a westbound 2013 Volvo XC60. Winston Saunders, 57, drove the Volvo, and he and his passenger, Sara Stamey, 56, were treated for injuries. Saunders’ injuries were minor, while Stamey’s were serious but not life-threatening. Igoe died at the scene.

How:

Per police reports, all occupants were using seat belts and airbags in both vehicles deployed. Igoe was westbound close to milepost 82 on Highway 20 when her vehicle began to skid on the ice and she lost control. she crossed lanes and was impacted on the passenger’s side by the Volvo.

Why:
Unfortunately, Igoe appears to have lost control due to the ice. It is unclear whether she was traveling too fast for conditions. The 2008 Fusion did not come with ESC, which might have helped her retain control of the vehicle on the ice, preventing the loss of control that led to the collision.

The Fusion is classified as a midsized car. It has a “good” side score, and came with head and torso side airbags standard. The 2013 XC60 weighs ~4169 lbs as a midsize SUV. It had a “good” frontal crash score.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 572KJ of energy into the Fusion / XC60. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Fusion occupant faced 400% of the force she’d have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. Sadly, her odds of survival were not high, despite the good side impact score of her vehicle and the fact that she was sitting opposite the side of impact.

Meanwhile, the Volvo was designed to perform well in a frontal impact test simulating 302KJ of energy (i.e., a Volvo impacting its twin at 40 mph). The Volvo occupants faced 189% of these forces. Their survival was expected, despite the significantly higher forces, and is a testament to the “good” frontal score, the presence of front airbags, and the occupants’ use of seat belts. I’m not sure why the passenger was seriously injured, and would have expected her to have fared as well as the Volvo’s driver, based on the vehicles and forces involved.

This is one of the few cases I’ve come across of fatalities occurring among passenger vehicles with “good” side impact scores impacted by other passenger vehicles. It is possible that Igoe’s advanced age placed her at greater risk of experiencing a fatality in this crash, as well as the fact that she faced significantly greater forces than her vehicle was designed to safely withstand in a side impact.

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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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Todd Spencer Ringheim, 50, near Sherwood, OR, Killed in SUV vs. Dump Truck Crash

October 31, 2014 Mike

Who:

Todd Spencer Ringheim, 50, was killed Wednesday morning 3/26/14 near Sherwood, OR. He drove a 2009 Cadillac Escalade SXT and collided with a dump truck by Southwest Scholls-Sherwood Road. He was on Southwest Roy Rogers. The dump truck driver had minor injuries.

How:

Ringheim headed south on SW Roy Rogers Rd at approximately 55 mph and approached a road curve that he was unable to negotiate. He crossed the center line and crashed into a northbound dump truck. He died at the scene while the dump truck driver sustained minor injuries.

Why:

This appears to be a textbook case of a small frontal overlap crash; the kind where the vehicles almost missed each other, but didn’t. These kinds of collisions tend to be even more severe than moderate (e.g., 50%) overlap crashes, which in turn, are more severe than full head-on crashes, since each crash offers progressively less of the vehicle to absorb the tremendous energies involved.

It is likely that Ringheim was traveling too fast for road conditions and lost control in the turn; it is essential to remember that the speed limit describes the speed limit in idealized conditions, and that it is often necessary to travel slower than the posted limit. The pictures indicate it was or had recently been raining that day, indicating 55 mph would have been too fast to safely negotiate that turn, due to the reduced traction available in rainy weather.

Despite the presence of ESC in the 2009 Escalade SXT, he was unable to negotiate the turn. The Escalade, a modified Silverado, weighed ~5990 lbs and was not tested for frontal impact scores by the IIHS. It was impacted by what appears to be a standard 10-wheel dump truck, which can weigh at least 24,000 lbs. That’s at least 401% of the simulated weight the Escalade would have experienced in an IIHS front impact test.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 3.29MJ of energy into the Escalade. The standard front impact test for the Escalade would simulate 434KJ of energy (an Escalade impacting its twin at 40 mph). In other words, Ringheim faced 758% of the force he’d have experienced in the types of crashes Escalades would be front rated for. Given these forces, his odds of survival were, sadly, virtually non-existent.

It is noteworthy, though not unexpected, that there is negligible damage to the front of the dump truck, while the same cannot be said for the Escalade, where the front and side deployed airbags are visible, as is a significant amount of intrusion. The A pillar appears to have completely disintegrated, as does most of the driver’s side of the front of the vehicle, consistent with a severe frontal overlap crash.

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Four Dead, including 3 Children, in Virginia Beach, VA, in Car vs. Pickup Crash

October 27, 2014 Mike

Who:

Marlo Teofila Bayot, 38 (the driver); Cheyenne Desire Patricia Gurney, 14; Gabriel Kalani Proctor, 13; and Cherish Lailani Gurney, 10; died between Wednesday, 4/16/14 at around 7 PM, and Friday (Marlo & Gabriel) 4/18/14, due to a 4/16/14 crash. Marlo had been driving a 2002 Nissan Sentra that contained 6 children. Three children are still alive, though injured–Jada Proctor, 12; Malulani Proctor, 12; and Alii Proctor, 8. They crashed into a 2013 Toyota Tacoma while northbound on Sandbridge Road in Virginia Beach, VA. In the Tacoma, the driver and passenger were not seriously injured. The father of 5 of the children, Glen Proctor, was not in the vehicle. Marlo was his fiancée.

How:

Per police reports, the Nissan was northbound on the road when the driver left the roadway, overcorrected, headed into incoming traffic, and was side impacted by the southbound Tacoma . The Nissan flew into the woods and landed on its side. One passenger was ejected. Police would not indicate whether the Nissan’s occupants had been belted. Cherish and Cheyenne died at the scene, while Marlo and Gabriel died two days later in the hospital.

Why:

This is another sad case of an overloaded vehicle filled with children. There were 8 occupants in a vehicle designed for 5. This should never have occurred. Although the full police report has not been released, it is clear that at least 3 children were unbelted, as there were 7 children and only 4 passenger seats. At least 5 of the children should have been in booster seats, while at least 1 should have been in a forward-facing child restraint.

Second, each unbelted child significantly increased the risk of death of every other occupant in the vehicle, as unbelted occupants increase the risk of injury or death of remaining occupants by 40%, and there were at least 3 in the Sentra.

Looking at the physics, the 2002 Sentra has a “poor” side score due to the life-ending forces the test vehicle imparted on the driver dummy and high head injury scores reported by the rear passenger dummy. It was impacted by a 2013 Tacoma that weighed ~3953 lbs, or 120% of the weight of the simulated vehicle in the IIHS side impact test.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 542KJ of energy into the Sentra. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Sentra’s occupants faced 379% of the force they’d have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for, and this was after a failing side rating. Given the speed of the collision and the lack of airbags and structural integrity of the Sentra, their odds of survival were, sadly, quite small.

However, it is worthy noting that three children did survive the collision. I have to wonder if these children were either restrained in car seats or at the very least buckled in. It is a tragedy that too many children were packed into the vehicle to begin with.

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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.