Tag Archives: children

Four Dead, including 3 Children, in Virginia Beach, VA, in Car vs. Pickup Crash

October 27, 2014 Mike

Who:

Marlo Teofila Bayot, 38 (the driver); Cheyenne Desire Patricia Gurney, 14; Gabriel Kalani Proctor, 13; and Cherish Lailani Gurney, 10; died between Wednesday, 4/16/14 at around 7 PM, and Friday (Marlo & Gabriel) 4/18/14, due to a 4/16/14 crash. Marlo had been driving a 2002 Nissan Sentra that contained 6 children. Three children are still alive, though injured–Jada Proctor, 12; Malulani Proctor, 12; and Alii Proctor, 8. They crashed into a 2013 Toyota Tacoma while northbound on Sandbridge Road in Virginia Beach, VA. In the Tacoma, the driver and passenger were not seriously injured. The father of 5 of the children, Glen Proctor, was not in the vehicle. Marlo was his fiancée.

How:

Per police reports, the Nissan was northbound on the road when the driver left the roadway, overcorrected, headed into incoming traffic, and was side impacted by the southbound Tacoma . The Nissan flew into the woods and landed on its side. One passenger was ejected. Police would not indicate whether the Nissan’s occupants had been belted. Cherish and Cheyenne died at the scene, while Marlo and Gabriel died two days later in the hospital.

Why:

This is another sad case of an overloaded vehicle filled with children. There were 8 occupants in a vehicle designed for 5. This should never have occurred. Although the full police report has not been released, it is clear that at least 3 children were unbelted, as there were 7 children and only 4 passenger seats. At least 5 of the children should have been in booster seats, while at least 1 should have been in a forward-facing child restraint.

Second, each unbelted child significantly increased the risk of death of every other occupant in the vehicle, as unbelted occupants increase the risk of injury or death of remaining occupants by 40%, and there were at least 3 in the Sentra.

Looking at the physics, the 2002 Sentra has a “poor” side score due to the life-ending forces the test vehicle imparted on the driver dummy and high head injury scores reported by the rear passenger dummy. It was impacted by a 2013 Tacoma that weighed ~3953 lbs, or 120% of the weight of the simulated vehicle in the IIHS side impact test.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 542KJ of energy into the Sentra. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Sentra’s occupants faced 379% of the force they’d have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for, and this was after a failing side rating. Given the speed of the collision and the lack of airbags and structural integrity of the Sentra, their odds of survival were, sadly, quite small.

However, it is worthy noting that three children did survive the collision. I have to wonder if these children were either restrained in car seats or at the very least buckled in. It is a tragedy that too many children were packed into the vehicle to begin with.

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Boy, 4, Killed and 4 Adults Injured in Napa, CA SUV vs. SUV Crash

August 19, 2014 Mike

Who:

Lakai Kirk, 4, died Sunday 4/6/14 around 3:30 PM on Highway 121 to the west of Napa, CA. He was in a 2011 Chevrolet Equinox along with his mother, Ariel Kirk, 25, and Flavio Castellanos, 23. They collided with a 2012 Lexus RX450 containing Cindy Pawlcyn, 58, a local chef, and John Watanabe, 66, her husband. All of the adults survived, with Cindy receiving moderate injuries, Watanabe with minor injuries, major injuries for Ariel, and moderate injuries for Flavio.

How:

The Equinox was northbound on H 121 and crossed leftward over the center line into oncoming traffic, impacting a southbound RX450. Both vehicles obeyed the 55 mph speed limit. Kirk received on-site CPR before being airlifted with his mother. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Kirk was in a backless booster seat in the back and was unconscious after the collision. News reports suggested the driver of the Equinox may have fallen asleep while driving. Police indicated very little braking occurred and that the vehicles impacted almost directly on license plates, suggesting a nearly complete head on collision. Furthermore, the Equinox attempted to correct at the last moment, but the Lexus had made the same correction attempt, resulting in the collision.

Why:

This case, sadly, appears to have occurred due to distracted driving–specifically, one of the drivers may have fallen asleep behind the wheel. Fatigue significantly increases one’s odds of being involved in a fatal collision, although such cases typically occur at night rather than during the day. What makes this case particularly tragic, however, is that the child’s death was likely preventable.

Looking at the physics of the crash, every occupant should have lived, including the child, had he been properly restrained in a rear facing car seat. The 2011 Equinox weighs up to 4189 lbs in the 6-cylinder AWD configuration and has a “good” frontal score. It was impacted by a 2012 RX450, which weighs up to 4392 lbs, or 105% of the Equinox’s weight. These differences were negligible. For our purposes, the vehicles crashed into their twins at high speed, so let’s just look at the forces imparted on the vehicle with fatalities–the Equinox.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the Lexus likely imparted at least 602KJ of energy into the Equinox. The Equinox frontal impact test simulates 304KJ of energy (an Equinox impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Equinox occupants faced 198% of the force they’d have experienced in the type of crash it was rated for. These were tremendous forces, but they were survivable ones. This is evident not only based on the high rate of frontal impact survivors with forces below the 200% threshold in other cases I’ve looked at, but in this case based on the intact A-frame and passenger survival space evident in the photos. Had the child been properly restrained in a rear facing seat or in a forward-facing harness, he would possibly have survived these forces. The fact that every properly restrained individual in both vehicles did survive is additional evidence that the collision was survivable.

This was ultimately a preventable tragedy. The collision might not have occurred had the Equinox stayed in its lane, but the death might not have occurred had the child been properly restrained. Every child who weighs less than 50 lbs should ideally be sitting in a rear facing car seat, provided he or she fits the height limits. If that is not possible, forward-face instead of booster until it’s no longer possible, or until a child is at least 8.

Rear facing is much, much safer, and would prevent so many needless deaths. Similarly, a forward-facing and harnessed child would also have been better protected than one in a booster.

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13 month old girl near Wadesboro, NC, Killed in Car Crash

August 10, 2014 Mike

Who:

Alexis Hooper, 13 months, was killed on 12/25/13, from injuries sustained in a crash between the 2007 Volkswagen Jetta in which she was riding and a 2001 Dodge Intrepid on U.S. 74 West close to Morven Freight Line Rd near Wadesboro, NC. Hooper was riding with her father, Alexander, 24, mom, Kelsey, and younger brother, Caleb, all of whom were injured but survived. In the Intrepid were Thomas Clay Davis, 49, the driver, and his wife, Saundra, who were also injured. Saundra required extrication.

How:

Per reports, the Hoopers were westbound on US 74 when they collided with the eastbound Intrepid at around 4:01 PM. The Jetta crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. The engine compartments of both vehicles burst into flames after the impact; however, the flames were extinguished before they could reach the passenger compartments. Both drivers were cleared of speeding, driving while impaired, or while fatigued. Alexis was also reportedly fastened in a child seat that had been installed properly. Her father was later charged with crossing the center line. His mother-in-law stated that he was a truck driver and that she believes he nodded off.

Why:

It’s unclear why Alex crossed the center line, but it almost certainly was due to distraction or a similar lapse of concentration. Reports showed he received a text four minutes before the crash, but it is unknown whether he read it before crash. Whatever the reason, it was a tragic turn of events that led to the death of a child.

The 2007 Jetta is a safe car, as measured by driver death rates and by its features and crash scores. It weighs ~3214 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 2001 Intrepid that weighs approximately 3505 lbs. As a result, the Jetta occupants faced 9% more force than they’d have faced colliding with another Jetta, placing them at a slight disadvantage. The Intrepid occupants experienced 9% less force.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 481KJ of energy into the Jetta. The Jetta frontal impact test simulates 233KJ of energy (a Jetta impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Jetta occupants faced 205% of the force they’d have experienced in the type of crash their car was rated for. Given the speed of the collision, their odds of survival were very possible, reflected in the survival of all but one passenger, Alexis. We’ll return to this in a moment.

The Intrepid frontal test simulated 254KJ of energy (a Intrepid impacting another at 40 mph), indicating that its occupants would have faced 174% of the forces it was rated to safely withstand, given that the Jetta imparted 441KJ of energy into the Intrepid. While these were still tremendous forces, these were again survivable forces, reflected in the survival of both occupants. The need for extrication is likely because the Intrepid only had an “acceptable” structural score and had two “marginal” scores for leg protection, giving it an overall “acceptable” frontal score.

The child should not have died in this crash, and it is a horrific tragedy that she passed away from her injuries. The fact that every individual in both vehicle, including another child, survived, indicates that the survival spaces of both vehicles were sufficiently maintained and that survival was indeed possible. So why did she pass away?

We don’t know for sure, but I have to wonder if she was seated in a forward facing child seat, as in the United States, children are rarely rear faced once they either outgrow infant seats or reach age 1. This is despite the fact that the NHTSA and other safety organizations recommend rear facing children as long as possible, due to the great safety advantage it provides. Had Alexis been in a rear-facing car seat, perhaps she might have survived the collision–just as everyone else in both vehicles did. Had they known better, I believe with every fiber they would have done better, as would have any parent.

Extended rear-facing saves lives. Please don’t stop at the law; follow best practices. When you know better, you’ve got to do better.

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Two Children Killed in Montgomery County, AL, in Car vs. SUV Crash

May 4, 2014 Mike

Who:

Naycha Night, 11, a Goodwyn Middle School student, and Heaven Brooks, 2, were killed in a 2/23/14 crash that occurred at around 12:17 PM in Montgomery Cty., AL, close to the Waugh exit southbound on I-85. Night was in Lametric Willetta Maddox’s 2005 Toyota Corolla and her daughter, while Brooks was in her mother, Joy Brooks’ 2003 Jeep Liberty. Charletta Griffen, 12, was also in the Corolla, and was injured along with Brooks in the Liberty.

How:

It appears that the Liberty lost control while southbound and was impacted in the passenger’s side by the Corolla at highway speeds. Night died at the scene while Brooks died two days later. Per authorities, she was not in a child-restraint system when the crash occurred.

Why:
I’m not sure what led to the collision, but there was clearly a loss of control on the part of the Liberty for it to end up sideways on the highway to be impacted by the Corolla. It is likely that Night was a front-seated passenger, while Brooks was almost certainly seated in the back and likely simply belted, since she was not in a child-restraint system (i.e., a rear-facing car seat) as she should have been. Being under 13, Night should also have been in the back, as recommended by the NHTSA here.

Given these dynamics, the 2005 Corolla weighs ~2584 lbs and is classified as a small car. It has a “good” frontal score, which is the only score relevant for the Corolla, since it experienced a frontal impact. The 2003 Liberty weighs ~4100 lbs as a midsized SUV. It doesn’t have a tested side score, but would almost certainly have received a “poor” score had it been rated, since it did not come with side airbags standard and since the next generation, which did, only received a “marginal” rating. It also didn’t come with ESC, which might have helped prevent the loss of control that put the Liberty in T-bone position for the Corolla.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~70 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 574KJ of energy into the Corolla / Liberty. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Liberty occupants faced 401% of the force they’d have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. The lack of side airbags wasn’t what killed Brooks, however, but the fact that she was not properly restrained in a high-speed collision. Properly restrained in a center, rear-facing car seat, the degree of intrusion presented by the Corolla into the Liberty might have been survivable. The roof buckled, and there was significant intrusion, but the A and B-frames were intact.

Meanwhile, the Corolla was designed to perform well in a frontal impact test simulating 187KJ of energy (i.e., a Corolla impacting its twin at 40 mph). The Corolla’s occupants faced 307% of these forces. The frontal airbags clearly deployed, and there was a significant amount of damage to the front engine compartment, as designed. However, the cabin looked highly intact, right down to the intact A-frame. Again, this crash might have been survivable, and it was for 2 of the 3 occupants in the vehicle–the adult, who had more mass and a more developed skeletal and muscular structure, and the child restrained in the back seat. The child in the front seat, sadly, did not fare as well.

The circumstances leading to the collision are unclear, but examining the forces involved and the visual conditions of the vehicles after the collisions suggests that this could have been a non-fatal multi-vehicle collision had both children been properly restrained in the back.

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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.