Tag Archives: crash

Dwayne Borbua, 21, in Springfield, MA, Killed in SUV Crash

September 4, 2014 Mike

Who:

Dwayne Borbua, 21, from Springfield, MA, died shortly past midnight on Thursday, 5/29/14, in Springfield, MA in a single vehicle collision in a 2005-era Volvo XC90. The collision occurred close to St. James Ave. and Page Boulevard.

How:

Per police reports, they responded to a single vehicle collision at the aforementioned scene and discovered the XC90 empty. They then received another call about a disturbance at a local emergency department. There, they met an individual who stated he had found his friend, who had been driving the XC90, in the overturned vehicle, and had taken him in his vehicle to the emergency department. Borbua died shortly after. Police stated they also found narcotics within the XC90 upon returning to the scene, and stated that speed was likely a factor in the collision.

Why:

A few things to take from this unfortunate collision include the importance of driving safely and attentively at the speed limit, the importance of wearing one’s seat belts, and the importance of keeping crash victims within the vehicle of the crash until trained professionals arrive unless there is an imminent need to remove them.

It is unclear why Borbua rolled his vehicle, but it was almost certainly due to speeding, as he did not come into contact with any other vehicles, and the XC90 is equipped with ESC, reducing the odds of rollovers. It is likely that he traveled at a high rate of speed and lost control during a turn. Given the presence of drugs in the vehicle, it is possible that he may have been driving impaired.

Furthermore, it is also likely that he was not wearing his seat belt, as given the safety of the XC90, the visibly deployed airbags, and the structural integrity of the passenger compartment as visible in the images, the vehicle should have been able to protect him in a single vehicle rollover that did not put the vehicle in contact with trees or traffic.

Finally, removing him from the vehicle may have put Borbua at greater risk if he had suffered internal, spinal, or cranial trauma, which was likely due to his being involved in a rollover while unbelted. In such situations, unless the vehicle is on fire or at risk of imminent destruction, the job of witnesses is to call emergency services and provide support to the victim until paramedics arrive.

This is a sad reminder that no vehicle, even one as safe as an XC90, is capable of protecting every individual from every crash, especially when drivers engage in high risk behaviors.

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Mother and Daughter in Orlando, FL, Killed in Car vs. Car Crash

August 22, 2014 Mike

Who:

Silvia Flores, 49, and her daughter, Jennifer, 23, were killed at around 5:40 PM on Monday, 5/19/14, at the intersection of Texas Ave. and Rose Blvd. They died in a 2013 Toyota Camry, and were impacted by a 2008 Nissan 350Z driven by Fizal Rahaman, 19, who had Franck Mission, 20, as a passenger.

How:

The Camry was eastbound on Rose while the 350Z was southbound on Texas Ave. The Camry stopped at the stop sign before entering the intersection. Rahaman didn’t have a stop sign. The 350Z struck the Camry on its driver side. Both Flores’ died at the scene. Rahaman and Mission had minor injuries, and Rahaman supplied a voluntary blood sample. Troopers felt alcohol was not a factor in the crash. Witnesses stated the 350Z was apparently speeding (beyond the 35 mph limit).

Why:

This is another sad case resulting from speeding, which is implicated in 1 out of every 3 auto deaths in the US. While it does appear that the 350Z had the right of way, it is highly likely that the collision would not have occurred had the 350Z not been speeding.

The 2013 Camry weighs ~3258 lbs and has a “good” side score. It comes with head and torso side airbags in the front seats. Its structural subscore was “good” as well. In other words, relative to technology available today, this should have been a solid vehicle for a side impact. The 2008 350Z is closely related to the Infiniti G35. It weighs ~3344 lbs and would likely have a “good” frontal score if tested, based on its relation to the G35.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (I’ll estimate ~55 mph, or significantly above the 35 mph PSL), the collision likely imparted at least 458KJ of energy into the Camry / 350Z. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Camry faced 320% of the force it would have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. It is sadly understandable that the victims succumbed to these forces.

Meanwhile, the 350Z was designed to perform well in a frontal impact test simulating 243KJ of energy (i.e., a 350Z impacting its twin at 40 mph). The 350Z’s occupants faced 188% of these forces. Their survival was practically a given, 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.

This is a sad and entirely preventable pair of deaths. Despite the fact that the victims were traveling in a safe, well-rated vehicle, the protective factors could not overcome the extremely high risk factors of speed, as well as a teenage driver behind the wheel of a high risk vehicle (the 350Z had the highest death rate of any vehicle at 148 in the most recent status report, and this collision indicates why–the people who drive it are highly likely to disregard speed limits).

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Timothy Lee, 27, in Baton Rouge, LA, Killed in Car Crash

August 13, 2014 Mike

Who:

Timothy Lee, 27, from Baton Rouge, was killed on 3/2/14 around 5:30 PM at the intersection of Thomas Rd and Scenic Highway in Baton Rouge, LA, in a 2003 Toyota Corolla, by a driver of a white 2013 Jeep Wrangler 4-door.

How:

Lee was at the Thomas / Scenic intersection stopped. He pulled west into the intersection trying to cross the highway and was impacted in the driver’s side by the northbound Wrangler. He died at the scene. Per police reports, neither speed nor alcohol factored in the crash. The Jeep driver had a passenger; neither were injured. All occupants were wearing seat belts.

Why:

It’s unclear why Lee pulled into the intersection; it’s possible he was distracted or likely that he simply didn’t see the Wrangler. Perhaps he thought he had time to pull out. Whatever the reason, here are the physics:

Given these dynamics, the 2003 Corolla weighs ~2584 lbs and is classified as a small car. It has a “poor” side score, since it did not come with side airbags standard. Had it, it would have had an “acceptable” rating, as evidenced by the Corollas of that era that came with optional side airbags. The 2013 Wrangler 4-door weighs ~4370 lbs as a midsize SUV. It had a “good” frontal crash score.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~50 mph, which was the PSL), the collision likely imparted at least 495KJ of energy into the Corolla / Wrangler. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Corolla occupant faced 346% of the force he’d have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. On top of this, his car already failed the side test due to imparting a life-ending amount of energy to the head of the crash test dummy.

Meanwhile, the Wrangler was designed to perform well in a frontal impact test simulating 284KJ of energy (i.e., a Wrangler impacting its twin at 40 mph). The Wrangler’s occupants faced 174% 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 cannot recommend the Corolla, or any other vehicle that does not come standard with head/torso side airbags. The stakes are just too high.

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Holly O’Neal, 37, in Norwalk, OH, Killed in Car vs. SUV Crash

August 7, 2014 Mike

Who:

Holly O’Neal, 37, in Norwalk township, died at approximately 6:50 AM on Whittlesey Road, to the north of Lais Road. She drove a 2001 Honda Civic, and crossed the center line while northbound to crash into a southbound 2007 Dodge Nitro that Mylinda Johnson, 39, was driving with two children, Kayla, 14, and Luke, 14. All occupants in the Nitro were injured.

How:

Per reports, O’Neal was northbound, lost control, and veered to the left over the center line, prompting the head-on collision. She was wearing her seat belt, but died at the scene. Mylinda and Kayla, her front seat passenger, were severely injured. Kayla was not wearing her seat belt, while Luke, who was only mildly injured, was in the right rear passenger seat, and did wear his belt. Mylinda was wearing her belt.

Why:

This unfortunate case appears to have been the result of weather-related conditions. It’s unclear why O’Neil lost control, but multiple residents reported the weather was poor on the morning of the crash, and the images clearly indicate a mixture of rain and snow in the surrounding environment. It is possible that, had her vehicle been equipped with ESC, O’Neal might have been able to maintain control of her Civic.

Investigating the physics of the crash, it is not surprising that O’Neal died while the Nitro occupants lived, as her vehicle was massively outweighed by theirs. The 2001 Civic weighs 2507 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 2007 Nitro, essentially a Jeep Liberty, that weighs 4319 lbs, or 172% of the Civic’s weight. As a result, the Civic driver automatically faced 72% more force in the collision than she would have if she’d collided with another Civic, placing her at a severe disadvantage in the collision. The Nitro occupants, meanwhile, experienced 58% lower forces.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 592KJ of energy into the Civic. The Civic frontal impact test simulates 182KJ of energy (a Civic impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Civic driver faced 325% of the force she’d have experienced in the type of crash her car was rated for. Given the speed of the collision, her odds of survival were, sadly, quite small.

The Dodge’s frontal test simulated 313KJ of energy (a Dodge impacting another at 40 mph), indicating that its occupants would have faced 110% of the forces the vehicle was rated to safely withstand, given that the Civic imparted 344KJ of energy into the Dodge. This was clearly a survivable collision for the Nitro’s occupants, which was reflected in their survival.

That said, it is surprising that Kayla, the 14 year old front-seated passenger, survived the impact, as she was unbelted, which severely increased her odds of suffering a fatal injury. She cheated death in this collision, while the survival of Mylinda and Luke in particular were to be expected. It is unclear why Mylinda suffered incapacitating injuries, although the “acceptable” subscore for the left leg in the Nitro’s front crash profile suggests leg injuries would have been possible in a typical collision.

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Family of 5 Killed in Hesperia, CA in Car vs. Van Crash

July 31, 2014 Mike

Who:

Angelica Garcia Garcia, 23; Gerardo Cruz Jimenez Jiminez, 30; Freddie, 9; Cynthia Jiminez, 4; and Ivan Jiminez, 2, were killed at 6:55 AM on Sunday, Mother’s Day, 5/11/14, in a 2005-era Honda Accord at the intersection of Balsam Ave. and Main Street in Hesperia, CA. They were impacted by A 1995-era Ford Econoline delivery van driven by Joshua Smith, 30, who only had minor injuries. The family was en route to Disneyland to celebrate the birthday of Cindy, who would have turned 5 the following day.

How:

Smith was eastbound on Main St. He lost control, crossed the center line, and impacted the Accord, which was stopped at the stop sign at the intersection. Both vehicles traveled across Balsam to the northeast end of the intersection, where the van rolled over the right end of the Accord, trapping Angelica and her daughter, who died at the scene. Gerardo, who drove the Accord, was pulled by bystanders from the vehicle, and tended to by them until paramedics arrived. Freddie was also extricated from the vehicle, but he and his father died after being taken to a hospital. Ivan’s body was not discovered for another 6 hours when the van was lifted off the Accord.

The driver stated to a bystander he had simply looked away for a second. He has not been charged at this point. Per later revealed police reports, he was high on drugs and had fallen asleep while driving.

Why:

This is an incredibly tragic case that occurred because, in almost all certainty, Smith was speeding. Speed is implicated in 1/3rd of all auto fatalities in the US, and cases like this show why. Later information also revealed the driver had been both sleeping and under the influence of narcotics; he was a disaster waiting to happen, and a sad illustration of the levity with which far too many take driving in this country.

The 1995-era Econoline did not come with ESC, which might have helped him regain control before slamming into the Accord. Then again, ESC isn’t magic, and the collision might have occurred anyway, especially if he had been asleep. Similarly, the 2005-era Accord did not come with a roof score. I can’t help but wonder if the results of this collision might have turned out differently if the rollover had occurred on top of a 2011-era Accord, which comes with a “good” roof score. Of course, it is highly possible that fatalities would still have occurred. However, the severity of the injuries impacted by the van might have been sufficiently ameliorated by the roof to buy the hospital valuable time to save lives. There’s no way of knowing without knowledge of the forces placed upon the roof by the Econoline, the forces the roof had been designed to withstand, and an application of the crush force to a 2011-era Accord’s roof to provide a direct comparison.

What does appear to be the case is that the driver’s actions led to the deaths of an entire family of innocent individuals. This is the price of reckless driving, over and over and over again in this country.

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IIf you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

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.