Tragedy struck last Saturday on Kelch Road: a fatal Missouri car accident caused the death of 16-year-old Trent J. Huber and seriously hurt two passengers, Geoffrey R. Cox and Joshua Adams. According to Missouri Highway Patrol reports, Huber lost control of his Ford Ranger pick up and flew off the road. The truck rammed a culvert before hitting trees and a telephone pole. The force of the crash flipped the vehicle, ejecting the two passengers.
Lincoln County Corner pronounced Huber deceased at the scene. The other two passengers were taken to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis and St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake St. Louis. Huber had not been wearing a seat belt, and investigators have not determined whether or not Adams and Cox were belted in, although they were clearly ejected from the vehicle, so it’s difficult to conceive of a scenario in which they were safely secured.
The situation is extremely sad, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families.
What might we learn from this tragedy?
Studies of teenage driving behavior – and risk – suggest that immature drivers are at an elevated risk for getting into/causing serious Missouri accident crashes. Young drivers tend to take more risks. They also need time to learn the skill of driving. As with any complicated cognitive task, you need experience to master good habits. Research suggests that teens and other new drivers suffer for their lack of experience. Unfortunately, the roads are unforgiving. During other tasks, we learn by making mistakes and course correcting based on feedback. When it comes to safe driving, we may not get a chance to make a second mistake after we make our first.
Thus, teenage drivers and auto safety experts need to do what they can do to prevent serious/fatal crashes. Some research suggests that certain strategies might be effective. For instance, teens who are prohibited from driving with passengers (except for adult chaperones) tend to be safer, and banning cell phones alcohol, and other distractions can increase teen driving safety.
If you or someone you love was hurt in a Missouri auto accident, the team here at Carey, Danis & Lowe would be happy to discuss what happened to you and help you formulate an intelligent and methodical legal strategy.
