Romaric Profeta, 47, in Las Vegas, NV, Killed in Single Car Rollover

April 1, 2014 Mike

The Who:

Date: 3/22/14, 10:15 AM.
Fatalities: 1, Romaric Profeta Par.

Where: Durango Drive and Desert Inn Road, Las Vegas, NV.
Vehicles: 2012 Nissan Leaf.

Humanity: Lots of people saw the accident, including children, as track and soccer practices were occurring nearby. This is the 22nd fatal accident in the area this year.

The How:
Profeta was speeding southbound on Durango. He entered the Desert Inn intersection and could not stay in his lane. The vehicle veered right and left the roadway just south of the intersection, ventured into a landscaping area and rolled over. Profeta was ejected during the rollover and landed in the rock landscaping a number of feet from the Leaf. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Why:

Risk factors:
Lack of seat belt use (much, much greater ejection risk in a rollover).
Speeding (implicated in 1/3 fatal crashes).

Protective factors:
Safe vehicle.

Vehicle Analysis: This crash might certainly have been survivable had Profeta been wearing his seat belt. The Leaf, classified as a small car by the IIHS, features good front, side, and roof scores, as well as ESC, ABS, and head/torso air bags. The most relevant elements to this crash were the presence of ESC, the side airbags, and the strong roof score. The ESC likely reduced the severity of the rollover once it was imminent. The side bags would have kept his head and body from suffering fatal trauma against the vehicle during the rollover, while the strong roof would have kept his head from being crushed as the vehicle rolled. At the end of the roll, he might have simply opened his door and walked out of the vehicle, dazed but alive. However, none of these elements were able to protect him, as he flew out the window of the vehicle during the rollover because he wasn’t wearing his seat belt. Witness reports indicate citizens at the scene attempted to give him CPR while others directed traffic around the scene. Additional witnesses suggest Profeta was traveling at possibly 70 mph, hit a boulder after leaving the road, and rolled the vehicle four times, flying 50 feet through the air when ejected.

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Suaveya Williams, 21, of Rockford, IL, Killed in Car vs. Utility Pole Crash

March 29, 2014 Mike

The Who:

Date: 3/23/14, 2 AM.
Fatalities: 1. Sauveya Williams, 21.
Injuries: 18-year old with serious injuries, 18-year old and 19-year old with minor injuries.

Where: 1300 block of Seminary & Catherine St, Rockford, IL.
Vehicles: 1998 Chevrolet Lumina.
Impact: Front (est.).

Humanity: Williams was engaged and the mother of a young child. The crash caused a power outage in the area.

The How: Williams appeared to have been traveling southbound on Seminary and crashed into the utility pole before impacting the vacant building at 2 AM. The seriously injured passenger was ejected from the vehicle.

The Why:

Risk factors:
Driving drunk (Implicated in 1 out of every 3 fatal crashes last year and every year).
Driving at night (13 percent of deaths occurred between midnight and 3 AM last year).
Driving on Sunday (17 percent of deaths occurred on Sunday last year).
Collision with utility pole (14% of fixed object crash deaths last year).
Driving with several young passengers (increased risk of distraction).
Speed (more likely at night, and implicated in 1/3rd of fatal crashes).

Protective factors:
Youth of driver / passengers.

Vehicle analysis:
The Chevy Lumina, classified as a large car by the IIHS, weighed 3331 lbs and received a “Good” frontal score. However, the impact was likely a high speed collision, significantly increasing Williams’ odds of injury. The presence of three passengers in the vehicle, the time at which the accident occurred, and the young age of the driver also suggest distracted or impaired driving, which was later confirmed in reports. Furthermore, the Lumina did not come with ESC, while ABS was only an optional feature, reducing Williams’ odds of successfully recovering from a loss of control at any speed. The seriously injured passenger was possibly not wearing a seat belt, as the risk of ejection in a crash is several times greater in such cases.

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Jeffrie Whiting, 51, in Cherry Valley, IL, Killed in Car-Van Crash

March 27, 2014 Mike

The Who:

Date: 2/11/2014, ~ 9:15 PM.
Fatalities: 1. Jeffrey Whiting, 51.
Injuries: Sedona driver (non-life-threatening).

Where: U.S. 20 and Elgin St. in Cherry Valley, IL.
Vehicles: 2001 Honda Civic, Kia Sedona (2002-2005).

Impact: Front impact (Civic), Passenger side (Sedona).

Humanity: Jeff Whiting is survived by Paula Lamont, his loving companion, as well as her children. He worked a Sports N More and had previously worked as a CAD engineer.

The How: Jeff was heading east on US 20 in his Civic, when he collided with a Sedona attempting to turn left to Elgin St. The front of the Civic collided with the passenger side of the Sedona. Both drivers required extrication. Jeff was taken to the hospital and died of his injuries before 4 AM.

The Why:

Risk factors: Lighter car in collision, driving at night, high speed collision.

Protective factors: Good frontal impact score.

Vehicle analysis: As is often the case, the lighter vehicle fared worse in this collision. The 2001 Civic is rated “Good” in front impacts, but it also only weighed 2507 lbs. The 2002-2005 Sedona doesn’t have a side impact rating, and doesn’t have side airbags, so it would almost certainly have received a “Poor” rating. However, it also weighed 4,665 lbs. Even though the weight should not have impacted the forces the Sedona driver experienced due to its being a side impact, the weight did mean Jeff experienced 86% more force in the crash than he would have if he’d collided with another Civic.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~65 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 480KJ of energy into the Civic / Sedona. The Civic frontal impact test simulates 182KJ of energy (a Civic impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Civic driver faced 264% of the force he’d have experienced in the type of crash her car was rated for. Given the speed of the collision, his odds of survival were low, and non-existent if he were unbelted.

The survival of the Sedona driver in a high speed side impact in a vehicle without airbags is noteworthy. He was likely protected by the greater ride height of his vehicle, possible seat belt use, and the fact that the vehicle impacting him weighed 32% less than the standard 3300-lb test sled used in IIHS side impact tests. The fact that the collision also occurred on the opposite side of the driver also made a significant difference; it is likely that the Sedona driver would have fared severely worse had the Civic impacted the driver’s side door.

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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!

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Mother, 29, and 4 Children in Riverdale, CA Killed in Minivan-SUV Crash

March 20, 2014 Mike

Who:

Date: 2/16/14.
Fatalities: 5.
Who: Esmerelda Saucedo, 29, Breanna, 11, Jada, 6, Nikko, 3, and Isaac, 1.

Injuries: 1. Martinez Bejarano, 41, major injuries.

Where: Marks and Excelsior intersection in Riverdale, CA.
Vehicles: Ford Expedition, 2004 Nissan Quest.
Impact location: Front left of Expedition, by the engine block.

Human element: Family members stated that the family was traveling to a Fresno restaurant to celebrate the 2nd birthday of the youngest child. The father was following behind in a second vehicle, saw the crash occur, and tried unsuccessfully to save his family, but was unable to pull any members from the vehicle.

How:

The Expedition was heading south on Marks and had the right of way when it was T-boned by the red Quest, whose driver was heading west on Excelsior and did not stop at the light. The Quest was estimated to be traveling at around 60 mph in the 55 mph speed zone. The Expedition burst into flames up to 15 feet high shortly after the crash and everyone in the vehicle died at the scene despite extrication attempts by the father.

Why:

Risk factors: Quest driver did not stop at the stop sign, Quest driver was driving without a license, witnesses stated multiple prior fatalities had occurred at that intersection. Potential engine defect in Expedition.

Protective factors: Equal weight vehicles.

Vehicle analysis: The single highest loading factor for this collision was the failure of the Quest driver to yield at the stop sign. Beyond that, it is unclear why none of the family members were able to exit the vehicle. It is possible that the mother became incapacitated due to the collision and was therefore unable to exit or aid her children in exiting the vehicle. If the fire spread from the engine compartment rapidly, the fire itself or gases from the fire could have quickly overwhelmed the mother and oldest daughter. It appears that none of the family members died from the impact, and that all died from the fire. The reasons for the fire itself remain unclear, but a review of NHTSA complaints related to the Expedition’s engine compartment reveals dozens of complaints related to engine fires due to spark plug ejections in the Triton engine. It is possible that the faulty spark plug assembly or a similar engine defect may have led to an engine fire after the collision.

Safety Gear

Given the rapidity with which the fire consumed the vehicle, it is likely that no measures save the immediate proximity of a fire truck could have saved everyone in the vehicle. However, the presence of safety equipment such as a Life Hammer might have enabled the father or other bystanders to enter the vehicle, or the mother and oldest children to escape the vehicle. Similarly, a car fire extinguisher might have bought the family valuable seconds with which they might have been able to escape the vehicle.

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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.