Car accidents such as vehicle rollover crashes may be common in the country but the news of minors getting involved in tragic mishaps makes it even more appalling, if not a condemnable.
The article, “Six Teenagers Injured in Fresno Rollover Crash”, posted on July 14, 2008, tells of the horrible fate that six teenagers met in a rollover crash. The young minors, between the ages of 13 and 17 suffered badly and one got minor injuries.
Like adding insult to injury, the accident was further complicated by other issues which made the victims’ injuries looked less of a problem than the other trouble that they had gotten into.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the four teenagers were suspected of hit-and-run driving and vehicle theft and the accident happened just as they were trying to run away to evade arrest.
In addition to these misdemeanors, the stolen vehicle caught fire after it rolled over. Luckily, for the teenagers, all of them survived the accident, though most of them suffered major injuries.
Because of this, the teenagers may be slapped with a lawsuit for their reckless and negligent driving manner, aside from the criminal liability that may face for vehicle theft and evading arrest.
Car accidents like these again highlight the issue of teen driving and the strict implementation of driving laws, especially the state’s graduated drivers licensing (GDL) program.
A Center for Disease Control research has shown that motor vehicle crashes account for nearly 36 percent of teenage death and also the leading cause of death for teenagers in the country. In addition, approximately 30 percent of the total cost of motor vehicle injuries may be attributed to persons aged 15 to 24.
Car accidents may be caused by various factors such as the following:
- Driver’s inattention
- Distractions such as cell phone use
- Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs
- Road conditions
- Weather conditions
To ensure that only teenagers with permits and under adult supervision would be allowed to drive, other states should seriously consider the implementation of the graduated drivers licensing program.
