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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