On Wednesday night, a rollover crash took the life of a 15-year-old high school student from Wilbarger County. According to KFDX News Channel Three, Walter Smith died when his SUV crashed on FM 924. Although very few details have been released about the crash, we know that Smith was ejected from the vehicle. For currently unknown reasons, he lost control of the vehicle and overcorrected it. The vehicle rolled over and he was ejected.
Freshman Athlete Killed in Crash
KFDX News Channel Three also reports that 15-year-old Walter Smith was a freshman at Northside High School and was a student athlete playing both football and baseball. Services for the teen have been set for Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church in Vernon. This crash is likely still under investigation with authorities as they piece together what went wrong in this terrible and tragic wreck.
Overcorrection Crashes
It’s not uncommon to hear about overcorrection and rollover crashes involving SUV’s, trucks and other tall motor vehicles. They have a higher center of gravity and are much more likely to roll in the event of an overcorrection. Although it may feel like the right thing to do, overcorrecting the car or steering forcefully can be a dangerous and deadly maneuver.
Veering Off The Roadway
Overcorrection rollover crashes also happen when drivers begin to veer off the roadway. They might hit a rumble strip or drive their car off the shoulder of the road. Unfortunately, many drivers’ first instincts are to jerk the car back to the road, but that’s incredibly dangerous, especially in SUV’s and other taller vehicles.
Remain Calm in an Emergency Situation
In the event of a situation like this, drivers are encouraged to remain calm, take their foot of the accelerator and ease the vehicle back onto the roadway. Additionally, it’s important to keep from slamming on the brakes too. Don’t press either pedal. Stay calm and ease your car back to the roadway. Jerky panicked movements can be dangerous or deadly.
Fatal crashes involving teens and young adult drivers are hard on the whole community. These crashes remind us how important safe driving behaviors are for everybody behind the wheel. One teen killed in a car crash is one teen too many. The team at the Altman Legal Group sends their deepest heartfelt condolences to the family members, friends, classmates and loved ones of Walter Smith.