Tag Archives: orphanseat

Four Killed, Child Injured in Car vs. SUV Crash

June 27, 2014 Mike

Who:
Judge Terri Johnson, 40, drove a 2009-era Volkswagen Passat the wrong way on Highway 287 close to Decatur, TX, around 6 PM Saturday evening, 4/26/14, and killed herself and Juan Jose Rios, 32; Sherry Ann Rios, 50; and Amy Dee Culwell, 35; who were driving in a 2009-era Chevrolet Trailblazer. A 4 year old girl in the Trailblazer was severely injured in the collision, but is expected to survive. Unfortunately, her parents did not.

How:
Slightly before 6PM, Johnson, who was traveling the wrong way (southbound) in the northbound SH 287 lane, drove head on into a northbound Trailblazer. The three adults in the Trailblazer and Johnson in the Passat were killed on impact, while the 4 year old, who was not restrained in a child seat, was ejected from the vehicle. Per the police, no evidence of alcohol has as yet been found. However, witnesses who’d called 911 reported seeing her driving erratically from one side of the road to the next in the minutes preceding the crash. A number of witnesses arrived at the scene immediately after the crash and attempted to offer aid to both vehicle’s occupants, including a number of truckers who put out the Trailblazer fire with extinguishers.

Why:
It is currently unknown why Johnson was driving the wrong way down a highway in broad daylight, although given the near 100% frequency with which alcohol or drugs are a factor in wrong way fatal collisions, I have to wonder if she was driving under the influence of said substances. What is absolutely certain is that the collision was the result of her actions, and that four individuals are dead and a child critically injured as a result.

Investigating the physics of the crash, the sheer number of fatalities is surprising and saddening. The 2009 Passat weighs 3435 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 2009 Trailblazer that weighs 4641 lbs, or 135% of the Passat’s weight and was rated only “acceptable” in its frontal score. As a result, the Passat driver automatically faced 35% more force in the collision than she would have if she’d collided with another Passat, placing her at a significant disadvantage in the collision. The Trailblazer occupants, meanwhile, experienced 26% lower forces due to the weight advantage. However, the “acceptable” score worked against them, significantly reducing the protection the vehicle should have afforded them.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~65 mph, per witness reports), the collision likely imparted at least 889KJ of energy into the Passat. The Passat frontal impact test simulates 249KJ of energy (a Passat impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Passat driver faced 357% 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 next to zero.

The Trailblazer frontal test simulated 337KJ of energy (a Trailblazer impacting another at 40 mph), indicating that its occupants would have faced 195% of the forces the vehicle was rated to safely withstand, given that the Passat imparted 658KJ of energy into the Trailblazer.

This should have been a survivable collision for the Trailblazer’s occupants, but none of the adults did. Witness reports indicated that the vehicle may have been thrown several feet into the air by the force of the impact, which could have led to the deaths of the adults. Somehow, however, the child survived, despite not being restrained in a rear-facing seat and being partially ejected from the vehicle. A 4-year-old child should ideally be in a rear-facing seat, and if not, should definitely be in a forward-facing harnessed seat.

This was a completely preventable tragedy, and a potentially corruptly investigated one. The results of Johnson’s toxicology test stated she was not under the influence of any substances.

I don’t believe those results.

—

If 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.

Kathlean Kennedy, 25, in Hanoverton, OH, Killed in Car vs. RV Crash

June 15, 2014 Mike

Who:

Kathlean Kennedy, 25, from Massillion, Ohio was killed at around 2:27 PM on Friday, 6/4/14, close to Haverton, Ohio. She was westbound on U.S. Route 30 driving a 2010 Ford Fusion east of Lindesmith Rd. She crossed the center line and impacted a 1998 Allegro recreational vehicle that Robert Lausted, 44, from Bronson, Texas. Kennedy died at the scene, while her 1-year-old daughter, Elli, was in stable condition after hospitalization. Lausted was uninjured.

How:

Per police reports, Kennedy was westbound and approaching a curve when she crossed the center line into the path of the RV. Lausted told troopers that she appeared to have been looking downward before the crash, and that she “looked up and jerked the wheel, but it was too late.” After the impact, the Fusion spun and ended up on the side of the road. Kennedy was belted and died due to severe head trauma. Her daughter was in the center rear seat securely restrained in an infant car seat, and per emergency responders who’d removed her seat, it was still secured well after the collision. The child was airlifted to a local children’s hospital and was in stable condition. Alcohol is not suspected as a factor in the collision.

Why:

This appears to be another sad case of distracted driving. For whatever reason, Kennedy was staring downward, and did not look up until it was too late to avoid the collision. I have to wonder if she was not looking at a phone, as phone-related driving collisions have been increasing in recent years, and are more common among younger drivers.

Investigating the physics of the crash, it is not surprising that Kennedy died while Lausted lived, as her vehicle was massively outweighed by his. The 2010 Fusion weighs 3384 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 1998 Allegro Class A RV that weighs around 23,000 pounds, or 680% of the Fusion’s weight. As a result, the Fusion driver automatically faced 580% more force in the collision than she would have if she’d collided with another Fusion, placing her at a severe disadvantage in the collision.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 3.15MJ of energy into the Fusion. The Fusion frontal impact test simulates 245KJ of energy (a Fusion impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Fusion driver faced 1286% 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, virtually non-existent.

The part of this story that speaks to me most, however, is the survival of her daughter. 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. Elli was almost certainly restrained in a rear-facing infant seat such as the Keyfit or MESA. Her mother also followed best practices of installing her in the center seat, as suggested by research. Properly restrained children can survive crashes that would otherwise be unsurvivable.

—

Two Adults Killed while Toddler Lives in Fridley, MN, in Car vs. Semi Crash

May 30, 2014 Mike

Who:
Wilbur Hooks, 32, and Patricia Hooks, 31, were killed on Friday, 4/4/14, at around 8 PM, on eastbound I-694 in Fridley, Minnesota, when their 2007 Chrysler 300 crashed into the back of a semi-trailer close to Matterhorn Drive. Patricia had been pregnant and was due this fall. Both Hooks died at the scene on impact while the couple’s son, Bishop, 2, survived in the rear seat with minor injuries. The driver of the semi, Steven Pothen, 68, was uninjured.

How:
Per reports, the Chrysler 300 traveled at a high rate of speed, perhaps in excess of 100 mph, while weaving in and out of traffic until colliding with the rear end of a semi trailer. Both adults died at the scene. Patricia was wearing her belt and her airbag deployed. Bishop was in the rear seat in a car seat and was not seriously injured.

Why:
This was, sadly, another textbook example of a passenger vehicle-large truck fatality due to a rear underride. It looks like a full frontal overlap in the picture. Trailer rear underride guards are designed to withstand a 35 mph full or moderate overlap without causing catastrophic injuries (death) to the impacting vehicle, which indicates Hooks must have been traveling at significantly more than 35 mph (relative to the trailer) to have impacted with enough force to lead to that level of cabin intrusion (which would be classified as catastrophic, as the intrusion extended past the B frame of the vehicle). Indeed, various reports have suggested they were traveling at over 100 mph, which would have been at least 35 mph faster than a semi trailer traveling at 65 mph.

Catastrophic levels of intrusion are virtually unsurvivable. Despite the strong front safety score of the 2007 300, there was virtually no chance of survival for front passengers in such an impact. The reasons for the crash are still unknown, but they almost certainly were due to driver inattention and speeding. Family reported Hooks “loved to drive fast,” while the vehicle was reported to have woven through traffic before the impact, and no sign of braking was detected.

It is essential to repeat that this crash was preventable, but that virtually no passenger vehicle exists that would have protected them at the speeds at which they likely crashed, as the significant marker of trailer underride crashes is that the part that results in death–the trailer itself–is above the crash-absorbing structures of virtually every vehicle on the road.

The most significant part of this story, however, is not the deaths of the parents, but the survival of the child. 2 year old Bishop Hooks survived the crash because he was strapped into a car seat. It is unknown whether or not he was rear-facing, but given his survival with non-life threatening injuries, it is possible that he was. Of course, it was also necessary for there to be a survivable space within the vehicle, which clearly only existed in the rear of the vehicle. However, without a car seat, Bishop would not be alive today. He will live with his grandmother, per family reports.

Rear face your children as long as possible.

—

Father, 2 Children by Lockhart, TX, Killed in Van-SUV Crash

March 24, 2014 Mike

The Who:

Date: 1/23/14.
Fatalities: 3.
Who: Joe Anthony Salas-Castro, 29, Joe Anthony Salas, 9, and Jayden Joshua Salas, 4.
Injuries: Jazalynn Nicole Salas, 2 (serious, expected to recover). Enrique Alvarez, 35 (not-life threatening).

Where: Near FM 1185 and Highway 183, N of Lockhart, TX.
Vehicles: Maroon GMC Jimmy, FedEx Van.
Seat Belts: No (3 fatalities). Yes (Jazalynn).
Impact Location: Driver’s side of Jimmy.

Human element: Joe and his two sons died. One son was in the 4th grade, while the other was a preschooler. They are survived by Jazalynn and Frances Lopez, the partner of Salas-Castro and mother of the three children.

The How:

Joe was driving northbound on Highway 183. Alvarez, meanwhile, was driving eastbound, and did not stop at a flashing red light. As a result, he T-boned the Jimmy heading through the intersection. Both vehicles experienced rollovers due to the impact, with the Jimmy rolling multiple times. Jayden, 4, in the rear passenger seat, was not wearing a seat belt, and was thrown from the vehicle during the rollover, and died at the scene. Joe and Joe Jr. sat in the front seats of the vehicle. Neither were wearing seat belts, and both died at the scene. Jazalynn was in a car seat in the back of the vehicle, and was removed by witnesses.

The Why:

Risk factors: Vehicle did not yield at intersection, lack of seat belt use, lighter vehicle in collision, lack of side airbags.

Protective factors: Car seat usage in 2 year old.

Vehicle analysis: The collision occurred because the Fedex driver did not yield the right of way. However, the deaths most likely occurred because none of the deceased wore seat belts. One child was thrown from the vehicle, while the others likely suffered blunt force trauma due to collisions with the inside of the vehicle during the rollovers. The only survivor in the Jimmy was the only individual properly restrained, the 2 year old. She was likely restrained in a car seat like one of these, which ended up saving her life.

The lighter weight of the Jimmy (4,103 lbs) vs. that of the FedEx van (up to 9,500 lbs fully loaded if an E-series cargo van) placed it at a significant disadvantage in the collision, as the van weighed up to 2.3x more, placing the Jimmy occupants at up to 2.9x the force the Jimmy would have experienced in an IIHS side impact test with a 3300-lb SUV-like barrier. The high speeds of the collision, most likely at at least 55 mph, also meant the occupants of the Jimmy faced at least 3.1x the forces in the side impact test due to speed alone. Of course, the Jimmy was never tested for side impacts. However, given its age and lack of side airbags, it would almost certainly have received a poor rating.

Properly restrain everyone in every vehicle, every time. Especially the children!

—