Sarah Sanagan, 29, near Crete, IL, Killed in Car vs. Semi Crash

March 17, 2014 Mike

The Who:

Date: 2/27/14.
Fatalities: 1.
Who: Sarah Sanaghan, 29.
Injuries: None.

Where: W. Burville Rd. and IL-394 near Crete, IL.
Vehicles: Chevrolet Cruze (2011-2014) and Peterbilt semi-truck with tanker.
Impact Location: Front passenger area.

Human Element: Sarah was a single mother of an 11-year old boy named Elijah. She lost her twin sister, Cari, nearly 18 years earlier in almost exactly the same location due to a hit and run driver, her neighbor, who took 3 lives and was released from prison 1 year later.

The How:

Sarah was driving westbound on Burville Rd. She stopped at the intersection with I-394 and then apparently pulled out in front of the Peterbilt semi that was heading south. The collision occurred at around 5:40 A.M., and Sarah was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead 20 minutes later. The coroner described the cause of death as blunt force head trauma.

The Why:

Risk Factors: Lighter vehicle, late night driving, high speed impact.
Protective Factors: Side airbags.

Vehicle Analysis: The Cruze, classified as a small car by the IIHS, weighs approximately 3158 lbs. A Peterbilt tanker truck can weigh upwards of 58,000 lbs. Statistically, in 98% of car-large truck collisions where there is a fatality, the fatality involves a car passenger, and unfortunately, this was no exception. Although the Cruze had side airbags and a “Good” side impact score and the impact occurred on the opposite side from the driver, the truck likely placed 17.6x more force on the Cruze than that simulated in the side-impact test with a 3300 lb SUV-like barrier. The odds of surviving such an impact in any passenger vehicle would, sadly, be extremely slim. It is unknown whether or not Sarah was wearing a seat belt. It is unclear why Sarah pulled out in front of the semi-, but given the dynamics of the intersection and the time of day, it is possible that she may have been so focused on crossing the four lanes of traffic that she did not notice the oncoming semi in the low visibility conditions.

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Elizabeth Proctor, 19, by Evansville, WI, Killed in 2 Car Crash

March 15, 2014 Mike

The Who:

Date: 1/30/2014, 2:49 PM.
Fatalities: 1. Elizabeth Proctor, 19.
Injuries: Marggo Young, 66 (minor).

Where: Highway 14 by Evansville, WI.
Vehicles: Ford Escort, Chevrolet Impala.
Impact: Passenger side (est.).

Human Element: Elizabeth graduated in 2013 from New Glarus High School and was a Criminal Justice student in Madison College. She was also a mother to an infant daughter, Lyla Keller, and had a boyfriend, Noah Keller.

The How: Elizabeth was driving on Highway 14, lost control of her vehicle, swerved into the opposite lane of oncoming traffic, and collided with an oncoming Chevrolet Impala. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Why:

Risk factors: Poor road conditions, lighter car in collision, lack of side airbags, lack of ESC, lack of ABS.

Protective factors: Youth of driver, seat belt use.

Vehicle analysis: Typically, the occupants of the heavier vehicle in a 2-vehicle collision fare better than those in the lighter vehicle, and this collision was no exception. The Escort, a compact car, weighed ~2538 lbs, while the 2000 Impala, for comparison, weighed ~3448 lbs, or 36% more. This means Elizabeth received 36% greater forces from the start than she would have if she’d collided with another Escort.

Beyond the weight discrepancy, speed was also a factor, although neither vehicle was reported to have been speeding. The IIHS side impact test is at 31 mph, which is considered a severe impact. The collision likely occurred at 55 mph, which meant that Elizabeth probably faced 3.1x the forces at which the IIHS tests side impact collisions. Of course, the Escort did not have side airbags, which made the collision even more severe. The Escort also lacked ABS as a standard feature, which might have helped Elizabeth brake without the wheels locking and increasing the odds of a skid. Finally, ESC could also have saved lives in this collision by enabling her to maintain her intended course of direction in poor road conditions. Sadly, none of these protective elements were present, save for Elizabeth’s seat belt use, which, while excellent, could not overcome the other risk factors she faced.

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Jennifer Lee Wolfe, 35, in St. Petersburg, Florida, Killed in Minivan Drowning

March 11, 2014 Mike

The Why:

The Who:

Date: 3/10/2014, 12:36 AM.
Fatalities: 1. Jennifer Lee Wolfe, 35 (pictured right).

Where: 28th t. North before Roosevelt Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL.
Vehicles: 2004 Honda Odyssey.

Humanity: Jennifer was married with two young sons and was a stay-at-home mother who also studied nursing.

The How:

Jennifer was driving her Odyssey at around 12:30 home from a WalMart when she came to a turn on 28th St. North. She did not make the turn, but went straight and struck a sign post, went across lanes, and down an embankment into a retention pond. She called 911 briefly before calling her husband and informing him she had been run off the road by a separate vehicle. Her husband contacted the police, and she was found unconscious within her minivan. She was pulled from the Odyssey and taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Risk factors: Driving at night, victim of road rage?

Protective factors:

Vehicle analysis: Nothing appears to have been physically wrong with the vehicle. Jennifer stated she had been run off the road by a vehicle when she called 911. However, once she was in the water, it is unclear whether or not she attempted to exit the vehicle. In such situations, is imperative to exit a vehicle immersed in water as quickly as possible. Most vehicles will typically float for at least a few minutes before beginning to sink, depending on the impact speed and angle, as well as the configuration of the vehicle’s undercarriage. It is sadly possible that Jennifer may have panicked upon discovering her entry in the water, and focused too much on calling for help instead on removing her seat belt, if she were wearing one, and exiting the vehicle. Once a vehicle reaches a certain level of immersion, it becomes impossible to open the doors due to water pressure, and exit must be achieved either through open or broken windows or through waiting until the vehicle is fully submerged to open the doors. In the latter scenario, the odds of drowning are almost certain, as most people have begun to panic or have already given up on surviving.

Safety Gear:

While water immersions often prove fatal, they are often survivable. The presence of a safety hammer and an escape plan could have saved Jennifer’s life. Such a hammer enables the cutting of tangled or jammed seat belts and the breaking of glass, such as the windshield or door windows to facilitate exit. Of course, no amount of survival gear is of use if one does not act quickly in such a situation. The first step to do in an immersion is to exit the vehicle; calling for help can be done once one is clear of the vehicle and on land.

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Robert Wilson, 17, in Rockford, IL Killed in Car vs. Tree Crash

March 9, 2014 Mike

The Who:

Date: 3/4/2014, 1 AM.
Fatalities: 1.
Who: Robert Wilson, 17.
Injuries: Drakkar Malone, 16 (Paralyzed from chest down), 16-year old girl (minor injuries).

Where: 15th Ave and 7th St., Rockford, IL.
Vehicles: Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Impact Location: Front (est.).

Human element: Robert’s uncle, Pastor Melvin Brown, states that the survivors of the crash state that the vehicle was hit by a police car during a high speed chase that led to a loss of control, collision with the tree, and rollover.

The How:

The occupants of the Monte Carlo took off at a high rate of speed to avoid police cars, and crashed into the tree at the intersection. Robert was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, while Drakkar and the girl needed extrication from the vehicle.

The Why:

Risk factors: Speeding, possible lack of seat belt use, late night driving.

Protective factors: Youth of passengers.

Vehicle analysis: The dynamics of single vehicle crashes into rigid objects like trees differ from those of typical multi-vehicle crashes. However, in order to survive such crashes, protective factors such as seat belt use, front airbags, a good front crash score, a heavy vehicle, and a low rate of speed are essential. The Monte Carlo likely came with front air bags and had a curb weight of around 3391 lbs if the 2000 model. However, a collision at 35+ mph or similar speeds into this tree would likely have proven fatal without belt use, regardless of the weight of the vehicle or presence of airbags.

It is unclear at this point whether or not Robert was wearing his seat belt. However, given that the risk of ejection is several times greater in crashes wherein occupants don’t wear belts (especially when rollovers occur) than in crashes where occupants are belted, it is likely that he was not. However, this remains to be seen. It is unclear whether the other two occupants were belted either. However, young women are more likely to wear seat belts than young men, although younger drivers as a whole are less likely to wear belts overall, and the results of the crash in terms of injuries suggest that the girl may have been the only occupant in the vehicle wearing a seat belt.

The speed of the vehicle was the primary reason behind the crash itself, in accordance with statistics indicating that 1/3rd of fatal crashes, year after year, primarily involve speeding.

This is another preventable set of fatalities that occurred due to the decision to speed. I have to wonder if it might not have been preventable had the parents of the teenagers had some means of awareness of where and how quickly their teens were driving, such as through GPS technology.

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Dorothy Galloway + Howard Riddle, in Rockford, IL Killed in 2-Car Crash

March 8, 2014 Mike

The Who:

Date: 9/29/2013.
Fatalities: 2 (Galloway at scene, Riddle in December)
Who: Dorothy Galloway, 65. Howard Riddle, 67.
Injuries: All the folks in the Elantra. Driver in critical condition, two others minor injuries.

Where: Rockford, IL. 300 Block Spring Creek Rd.
Vehicles: White Chrysler 300 (2005-2013). Black Hyundai Elantra (2007-2010).
Impact Location: Front full overlap (est.)

The human element: Dorothy was a community volunteer, and served as a board member for MotherHouse and as an AIDS Care Network executive director.

The How:

Summary: The occupants of the Elantra were driving eastbound close to Anderson Gardens on Spring Creek Road, crossed the median, and crashed into a westbound Chrysler 300. Galloway was sitting in the passenger seat while her husband drove. Galloway died at the scene, while her husband, Riddle, was seriously injured and died some months later in the hospital.

The Why:

Risk factors:
Speed (Police reported the Elantra was speeding).
Drug use (Police reported the Elantra driver was using drugs while driving).
Age (older passengers are more likely to suffer serious injuries in a given crash than younger ones).

Protective factors:
Heavier vehicle (lower forces experienced on impact).

Vehicle analysis: The results of this crash were surprising. Typically, the occupants of the heavier vehicle fare better than those in the smaller vehicle. Here, the opposite result was found. The Elantra likely weighed around 2895 lbs, while the 300 likely weighed around 3766 lbs, or 30% more. This indicates the occupants of the Elantra should have experienced 30% more force in the collision.

However, both fatalities occurred in the heavier vehicle, even though the occupants of the lighter vehicle did suffer injuries. The video captures indicate the side and front airbags deployed in the Elantra, while front airbags deployed in the 300. It is unclear if side airbags were present in the 300. Although the impact appears to have been a head-on collision, the side bag deployment in the Elantra may have offered additional protection to the occupants. The higher speed of the Elantra relative to the 300 also likely yielded it an advantage in the collision. Both vehicles had “Good” front scores. However, presuming the collision occurred at 55 mph instead of around 40 mph, the occupants of both vehicles would have experienced 89% more force, irrespective of vehicle weight, than the tested speeds (40 mph) at which the vehicles received “Good” front scores. Furthermore, it is unclear whether or not the 300 occupants were wearing seat belts. It is likely that the speed of the impact and age of the occupants were the most significant contributors to their deaths.

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