Tag Archives: headon

Three Killed in Phoenix, AZ, in Minivan vs. Car Crash

October 9, 2014 Mike

Who:

Evan Christian Hendriadi, 50; Lio Kim Tjhiuw, 78; and Jenny Sudjono, 70, all from the same family, died just after 4:30 AM in Phoenix, AZ on 5/16/14 in the southbound lanes of I-17, immediately south of the Bumble Bee exit, when their 2011-era Toyota Sienna was hit by a wrong-way Chrysler 300 driven by a Phoenix man in his 60s, who was seriously injured in the collision. The collision occurred close to Sunset Point. Three others in the Sienna, including a 9-year-old boy, were seriously injured.

How:

The Sienna was southbound on I-17 while the 300 traveled the wrong way northbound on southbound I-17. A number of passers-by called 911 to alert police, and 5 highway patrol officers as well as a helicopter tried to stop the wrong-way vehicle. They were not able to reach the vehicle in time, and the collision occurred. Charges are pending.

Why:

This is another sad case of a wrong-way driver leading to needless fatalities. While the official reports have not been released, I have to wonder if the 300 driver was drinking, based on the profile of the collision, such as the time (drunk drivers are far more likely late at night) and the behavior (wrong-way driving is much more common among drunk drivers).

Let’s look at the physics in effort to unpack why so many individuals died in what should have been one of the safest vehicles on the road today. The 2011-era Sienna is a safe, solid vehicle. It weighs ~4342 lbs and comes with a “good” frontal score. It was impacted by a Chrysler 300, which weighs between ~3726 and 3961 lbs, depending on the year, and also comes with a “good” frontal score. Presuming it was on the higher end of the scale, that would mean the Sienna automatically faced 9% less force in the collision than it would have colliding with another Sienna. In other words, the weights are close enough to be considered negligible.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~75 mph, the Arizona highway PSL), the collision likely imparted at least 1.01MJ of energy into the Sienna. The Sienna frontal impact test simulates 315KJ of energy (a Sienna impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Sienna faced 321% of the force it would have experienced in the type of crash the vehicle was rated for. That ratio is easily enough to cause fatalities, as has been the case in many of the collisions I’ve looked into. But the driver survived these forces, as did two other individuals in the vehicle. However, three others did not. I imagine the advanced ages of two of the individuals who perished played a significant role in their demises, as one’s risk of severe or fatal injury increases inexorably with age after one reaches adulthood. It is also possible that they may have been unbelted, although statistically, seat belt compliance rises with age. A review of the image of the Sienna suggests vehicular integrity was maintained extremely well, especially compared to the 300, where the driver’s survival was a surprising, though, fortunate occurrence.

Whatever the reason, when dealing with 300% of the forces a “good” scoring vehicle is designed to withstand, survival odds, based on the crashes I’ve looked into, are low. I’d tentatively estimate they’re on the order of 25% based on a quick mental review of previous cases. There are forces that are simply too large for the human body to withstand.

Once again, this was another completely preventable tragedy. Whether or not alcohol was involved, and I suspect it was, distracted driving was certainly a factor, and it cost three innocent people their lives.

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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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Tyler J Alitz, 20, in Concordia, KS, Killed in Car vs. Pickup Crash

August 26, 2014 Mike

Who:
Tyler J Alitz, 20, was killed in Concordia, KS, just after 4PM on Wednesday, 5/21/14. He drove a 2000 purple Toyota Avalon and collided head-on with a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup that hauled three vehicles on a trailer. The pickup was driven by Kyle Glassman, 27, from Duncan, OK. Duncan received non-life-threatening injuries.

How:
Per police reports, Alitz was northbound on Lincoln St / Highway 81. For unknown reasons, he crossed the center lane to impact the southbound Ram. He was not wearing a seat belt and required extrication. Glassman was wearing a seat belt and also required extrication. Alitz died on the way to the hospital.

Why:
This is another sad case of driver error leading to a preventable collision, and a lack of seat belt use leading to a possibly preventable death.

The 2000 Avalon is a safe car, as described here. It weighs 3468 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 2014 Ram pulling a 3-car trailer loaded with a van and two mid-sized vehicles. Let’s estimate the weights as 5090 lbs for the Ram, 7500 lbs for the trailer and 11,400 lbs for the 3 vehicles towed. That sums to 23,990 lbs, or 692% of the Avalon’s weight. As a result, the Avalon automatically faced 692% more force in the collision than it would have colliding with another Fusion, placing it at an incredibly severe disadvantage in the collision.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 3.29MJ of energy into the Avalon. The Avalon frontal impact test simulates 251KJ of energy (an Avalon impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Avalon faced 1310% of the force it would have experienced in the type of crash the vehicle was rated for. Death was sadly a near-certainty. The images suggest a severe amount of intrusion into the vehicle, and there appears to be very little survival space left forward of the B-pillar. His odds of survival would still have been incredibly small even with seat belt use, but they would still have been significantly greater, particularly given the fact that Alitz was still alive when extricated from the vehicle.

We may never know why Alitz crossed the center line. We do know that his momentary instance of distracted driving and lack of seat belt use led to the untimely end of his life.

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Boy, 4, Killed and 4 Adults Injured in Napa, CA SUV vs. SUV Crash

August 19, 2014 Mike

Who:

Lakai Kirk, 4, died Sunday 4/6/14 around 3:30 PM on Highway 121 to the west of Napa, CA. He was in a 2011 Chevrolet Equinox along with his mother, Ariel Kirk, 25, and Flavio Castellanos, 23. They collided with a 2012 Lexus RX450 containing Cindy Pawlcyn, 58, a local chef, and John Watanabe, 66, her husband. All of the adults survived, with Cindy receiving moderate injuries, Watanabe with minor injuries, major injuries for Ariel, and moderate injuries for Flavio.

How:

The Equinox was northbound on H 121 and crossed leftward over the center line into oncoming traffic, impacting a southbound RX450. Both vehicles obeyed the 55 mph speed limit. Kirk received on-site CPR before being airlifted with his mother. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Kirk was in a backless booster seat in the back and was unconscious after the collision. News reports suggested the driver of the Equinox may have fallen asleep while driving. Police indicated very little braking occurred and that the vehicles impacted almost directly on license plates, suggesting a nearly complete head on collision. Furthermore, the Equinox attempted to correct at the last moment, but the Lexus had made the same correction attempt, resulting in the collision.

Why:

This case, sadly, appears to have occurred due to distracted driving–specifically, one of the drivers may have fallen asleep behind the wheel. Fatigue significantly increases one’s odds of being involved in a fatal collision, although such cases typically occur at night rather than during the day. What makes this case particularly tragic, however, is that the child’s death was likely preventable.

Looking at the physics of the crash, every occupant should have lived, including the child, had he been properly restrained in a rear facing car seat. The 2011 Equinox weighs up to 4189 lbs in the 6-cylinder AWD configuration and has a “good” frontal score. It was impacted by a 2012 RX450, which weighs up to 4392 lbs, or 105% of the Equinox’s weight. These differences were negligible. For our purposes, the vehicles crashed into their twins at high speed, so let’s just look at the forces imparted on the vehicle with fatalities–the Equinox.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the Lexus likely imparted at least 602KJ of energy into the Equinox. The Equinox frontal impact test simulates 304KJ of energy (an Equinox impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Equinox occupants faced 198% of the force they’d have experienced in the type of crash it was rated for. These were tremendous forces, but they were survivable ones. This is evident not only based on the high rate of frontal impact survivors with forces below the 200% threshold in other cases I’ve looked at, but in this case based on the intact A-frame and passenger survival space evident in the photos. Had the child been properly restrained in a rear facing seat or in a forward-facing harness, he would possibly have survived these forces. The fact that every properly restrained individual in both vehicles did survive is additional evidence that the collision was survivable.

This was ultimately a preventable tragedy. The collision might not have occurred had the Equinox stayed in its lane, but the death might not have occurred had the child been properly restrained. Every child who weighs less than 50 lbs should ideally be sitting in a rear facing car seat, provided he or she fits the height limits. If that is not possible, forward-face instead of booster until it’s no longer possible, or until a child is at least 8.

Rear facing is much, much safer, and would prevent so many needless deaths. Similarly, a forward-facing and harnessed child would also have been better protected than one in a booster.

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13 month old girl near Wadesboro, NC, Killed in Car Crash

August 10, 2014 Mike

Who:

Alexis Hooper, 13 months, was killed on 12/25/13, from injuries sustained in a crash between the 2007 Volkswagen Jetta in which she was riding and a 2001 Dodge Intrepid on U.S. 74 West close to Morven Freight Line Rd near Wadesboro, NC. Hooper was riding with her father, Alexander, 24, mom, Kelsey, and younger brother, Caleb, all of whom were injured but survived. In the Intrepid were Thomas Clay Davis, 49, the driver, and his wife, Saundra, who were also injured. Saundra required extrication.

How:

Per reports, the Hoopers were westbound on US 74 when they collided with the eastbound Intrepid at around 4:01 PM. The Jetta crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. The engine compartments of both vehicles burst into flames after the impact; however, the flames were extinguished before they could reach the passenger compartments. Both drivers were cleared of speeding, driving while impaired, or while fatigued. Alexis was also reportedly fastened in a child seat that had been installed properly. Her father was later charged with crossing the center line. His mother-in-law stated that he was a truck driver and that she believes he nodded off.

Why:

It’s unclear why Alex crossed the center line, but it almost certainly was due to distraction or a similar lapse of concentration. Reports showed he received a text four minutes before the crash, but it is unknown whether he read it before crash. Whatever the reason, it was a tragic turn of events that led to the death of a child.

The 2007 Jetta is a safe car, as measured by driver death rates and by its features and crash scores. It weighs ~3214 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 2001 Intrepid that weighs approximately 3505 lbs. As a result, the Jetta occupants faced 9% more force than they’d have faced colliding with another Jetta, placing them at a slight disadvantage. The Intrepid occupants experienced 9% less force.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 481KJ of energy into the Jetta. The Jetta frontal impact test simulates 233KJ of energy (a Jetta impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Jetta occupants faced 205% of the force they’d have experienced in the type of crash their car was rated for. Given the speed of the collision, their odds of survival were very possible, reflected in the survival of all but one passenger, Alexis. We’ll return to this in a moment.

The Intrepid frontal test simulated 254KJ of energy (a Intrepid impacting another at 40 mph), indicating that its occupants would have faced 174% of the forces it was rated to safely withstand, given that the Jetta imparted 441KJ of energy into the Intrepid. While these were still tremendous forces, these were again survivable forces, reflected in the survival of both occupants. The need for extrication is likely because the Intrepid only had an “acceptable” structural score and had two “marginal” scores for leg protection, giving it an overall “acceptable” frontal score.

The child should not have died in this crash, and it is a horrific tragedy that she passed away from her injuries. The fact that every individual in both vehicle, including another child, survived, indicates that the survival spaces of both vehicles were sufficiently maintained and that survival was indeed possible. So why did she pass away?

We don’t know for sure, but I have to wonder if she was seated in a forward facing child seat, as in the United States, children are rarely rear faced once they either outgrow infant seats or reach age 1. This is despite the fact that the NHTSA and other safety organizations recommend rear facing children as long as possible, due to the great safety advantage it provides. Had Alexis been in a rear-facing car seat, perhaps she might have survived the collision–just as everyone else in both vehicles did. Had they known better, I believe with every fiber they would have done better, as would have any parent.

Extended rear-facing saves lives. Please don’t stop at the law; follow best practices. When you know better, you’ve got to do better.

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