Head-on collisions can result in catastrophic and even fatal injuries. The greater the speed of the vehicles involved, the lower the chances that the occupants of either vehicle will survive such auto accidents. When a driver encounters a wrong-way vehicle in his or her lane, there may not be time or space to avoid a collision. This was likely the case in a recent crash on a rural road in Minnesota.
Witnesses say a 21-year-old man was driving a pickup truck northbound on the narrow road around 7:30 one recent evening. The speed limit in the area is 55 mph, and the driver was apparently attempting to pass another vehicle. Unfortunately, at the place where he chose to pass, the road inclined slightly. When he crested the hill in the wrong lane, there was another vehicle in his path.
The two vehicles collided, and the pickup burst into flames. When rescuers arrived, they had to extricate the second driver from his vehicle. The 33-year-old man was unresponsive, and despite attempts to revive him, authorities pronounced him dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck suffered injuries not considered life-threatening, and rescue workers transported him to the hospital by helicopter.
While investigators continue to review the case, family members of the victim are likely facing many challenges. In similar situations, those in Minnesota who lose loved ones in auto accidents resulting from another driver’s careless actions may turn to a lawyer for advice about their options in civil court. Pursuing compensation from someone who is responsible for the injury or death of a loved one is often a way to find some sense of closure and obtain the necessary resources to carry on after such a tragic loss.
