A wreck in Baylor County claimed the life of a 19-year-old man from Seymour. This wreck happened on FM 2395 about a quarter mile west of County Road 449. The driver, Mason Lee Goodwin, and a passenger were heading westbound when their Ford truck went off of the road. The truck hit a ditch, rolled and caught fire. Sadly, Goodwin was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
Another rollover crash sent one woman to the hospital in Archer County. The wreck happened at the 1900 block of Archer City Highway. The driver of a white Ford truck briefly drove off of the roadway and then overcorrected. After overcorrecting, the truck went through Crestview Cemetery’s fence and landed upside down. There were also two children in the truck. KFDX News Channel Three reports that the driver was transported to a local hospital.
There is no word yet on the causes for either of these single-vehicle crashes. It’s not uncommon for distracted driving to be the cause of a wreck involving just one car. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention almost one in five crashes causing injury involved distracted drivers in 2010. They also report that younger drivers, under the age of 20, have the highest proportion of distracted-driving fatal crashes.
The CDC also reports that there are three main types of distractions. First, drivers may be visually distracted. Second, drivers may be manually distracted. This means that a driver may take his or her hands off of the wheel. Finally, a driver may be cognitively distracted. If a driver is cognitively distracted, his or her mind is elsewhere and not focused on the task of driving. Phone records can determine if a driver was texting or talking on the phone. Passengers are likely to witness distracted driving behaviors too. Anytime a driver takes his or her eyes or attention off of the road, other drivers and passengers are put at risk.
A passenger who is injured in car crash may have a claim against a distracted driver. In some crashes, victims may not know if another driver was distracted. Law enforcement officials may discover evidence of distracted driving after the wreck. It’s important to contact a personal injury attorney after a car accident, especially if you suspect distracted driving was involved. Contact the experienced lawyers at the Altman Legal Group at (800) 772-0828 for a free consultation.