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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