In this latest incident, two people died when the vehicle in which they were riding crashed along a stretch of Maryland’s Route 8. According to news accounts, the accident happened around 8am on a Sunday morning when 41-year-old Victor A. Smith of Annapolis apparently lost control of his BMW, which then crossed the center line into oncoming traffic.

The Smith had been driving his black BMW northbound along Route 8 near Great Neck Road in Stevensville when the accident occurred. As the car veered into southbound traffic, 46-year-old Agnes C. Phelps tried to avoid Smith’s BMW by pulling off to the side of the road and onto the shoulder, according to police reports. Even so, Phelps’ car was hit by the BMW, which then caused both vehicles to leave the roadway.

As a result of the collision, two of Smith’s passengers died. Based on reports, the front seat passenger, 35-year-old Reginald L. Dean, was thrown from the car, while 33-year-old Teshawn D. Parker was partially ejected from the rear seat. Police reports indicate that none of the occupants in the BMW was wearing a seatbelt.

Police arriving on the scene noted that Smith had a strong smell alcohol on his breath. Emergency crews treated the two drivers, each of whom were then flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. In addition to alcohol, state police believe that speed was also a factor in the crash.

2 killed in accident in Queen Anne's County, BaltimoreSun.com, August 1, 2010

Whether the crash involves a single automobile, such as a sedan, minivan, SUV or pickup truck; a motorcycle or other two-wheeled motor vehicle; or a commercial truck, such as an 18-wheeler, box truck, or delivery van, the injuries sustained by the driver and/or passengers can be extensive depending on the circumstances.

Police investigators usually work to determine the cause of any serious accident to determine the contributing factors and ultimately who was at fault. In many cases, driver error is found to be the main reason for a car or truck crash -- other factors can be listed such as excessive speed, alcohol or drug use, poor visibility, etc.

A recent accident along the Capital Beltway left a 69-year-old Maryland man dead. According to police, 68-year-old Ulric Wair was headed south on Interstate 495 in a Nissan Maxima along the inner loop on a late Wednesday afternoon when he attempted to exit the expressway apparently at the last minute.

Maryland State Police troopers believe the driver steered his vehicle across the far two right lanes and shoulder and then hit a guardrail. The force of the collision with the railing caused Wair’s car to flip over causing him severe head trauma.

Emergency responders were called to the scene to administer medical attention however the man died at the scene from his injuries. The man was traveling alone in his car at the time of the accident and police believe that speed may have been a contributing factor in the accident. Alcohol was ruled out by investigators.

Man, 68, Killed In Capital Beltway Accident Near Oxon Hill, WUSA9.com, July 21, 2010

Whether a collision is caused by a drunk driver, hit-and-run driver, underinsured or uninsured motorists, resulting injuries can range from whiplash and burns to spinal cord paralysis and permanent nerve damage. The saddest outcome is the death of an innocent driver whose only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A recent news article illustrated how the simplest accident can result in a tragic and awful outcome. According to reports, a Leonardtown teenager was killed while driving her vehicle along Point Lookout Road. Based on police reports, 16-year-old Shelby Wood was killed on a mid-July afternoon when her car was struck from behind by another vehicle.

The young girl was apparently traveling southbound along Point Lookout Road near St. Andrew's Church Road in the later afternoon. After being rear-ended by the initial collision, the girl’s vehicle was pushed into the oncoming lane of traffic where it was struck a second time by another car.

Emergency crews treated the teen at the scene and then transported her by ambulance to St. Mary's Hospital where she unfortunately died from her injuries not long after. Although police believed the accident was not caused by speed or alcohol, they were still investigating the crash at the time of the article.

Leonardtown Teen Shelby Wood Killed in Car Accident, MyFoxDC.com, July 13, 2010

As a Maryland automobile accident attorney, I know the seriousness of injuries sustained by occupants of motor vehicles caught up in these kinds of impaired driving crashes or DUI-related accidents. What may be disconcerting to many people out there is that prosecuting these DUI offenders is not as simple as it may seem.

This is a shame, because thousands of people are killed or injured every year by the thoughtlessness of these individuals. From simple cuts and bruises to broken bones and permanent disability -- even death -- there is too much suffering imposed on so many by so few who lack a social conscience. Yet recourse against these irresponsible few is difficult according to experts.

A recent article points out the there is a delicate balance between individuals who have a legitimate need for prescription medication and the public good. More and more it is becoming common for drivers to be charged with driving under the influence of drugs following a car or commercial truck accident. According to law enforcement authorities, although drunk driving deaths have reportedly been dropping, there has been an increase in accidents caused by drivers impaired due to prescription painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, sleep aids and other powerful drugs.

The situation has become increasingly worrisome for police officials nationwide because, unlike the effects of beer, wine and hard liquor, there is no agreement on what level of drugs in the blood driving impairment occurs.

Of course, the behavioral effects of legally prescribed drugs varies from one person to the next. Some drugs, such as anti-anxiety medications, can reduce driver’s level of alertness and reduce reaction time. Stimulants, on the other hand, can promote risk-taking and impair a person’s ability to judge distance. Then there is the issue of mixing prescription medication, taking these legal drugs with alcohol or even illicit drugs. All of which can make worsen a driver’s level of impairment, causing a sharp increase in the chances that a driver will cause a traffic accident.

As a Baltimore automobile and trucking accident lawyer, my main concern is for the victims of traffic collisions and victims' families. The burden of medical costs and lost wages can combine to put a strain on family members at one of the worst times of their lives. Add to this the possible death of a primary breadwinner due to fatal vehicle crash and you have a recipe for tragedy beyond that of the original car accident.

Recently, an Abington, MD, resident was killed when her vehicle left the roadway along a stretch of Interstate 695. According to news reports, 48-year-old Danita Marie Hasselbarth was driving her 1994 Chevy Camaro north along Harford Road toward the Baltimore Beltway. Once on the merging ramp the woman’s car apparently started to drift off the right-hand side of the road onto the adjoining grassy area next to the roadway.

Police investigators believe Hasselbarth then over-steered her vehicle in order to bring it back onto the road. Reports indicate that the driver lost control of her vehicle causing the car to spin and skid backwards toward a concrete barrier. Police reports show that the barrier at that point was positioned in such a way that it acted as a ramp and caused the car to be flipped over onto its roof.

There was no mention of fire, however when emergency responders arrived to assist the driver the paramedics from Baltimore County pronounced her dead at the scene.

Abingdon woman dies in I-695 car crash, ABC2News.com, July 11. 2010

To anyone who picks up a newspaper or follows the evening news, it will come as no surprise that we as drivers live but scant moments away from possible death or severe injury. A recent news article brought that thought home lately when I read of a former Maryland resident who lost her life on a highway out West where she lived with her family.

According to reports, 40-year-old Kristen Ardinger Karn formerly of Hagerstown, MD, died recently following a tragic head-on car crash in Wyoming earlier this month. The accident occurred on a Monday morning while Karn was driving along a stretch of Highway 22 when her 2005 GMC Yukon was hit head-on by another vehicle.

Based on information from local highway patrol officers, a Ford F-150 pickup truck being driven eastbound by 40-year-old Cresencio Perez-Avila for some reason drifted into Karn’s lane. Highway patrolmen said a preliminary investigation showed that Perez-Avila’s truck went left of the centerline and collided with Karn’s vehicle.

Emergency crews arriving at the crash site pronounced Perez-Avila dead at the scene, while they administered medical attention to Karn before she was flown by helicopter to a regional medical center for further treatment. Amazingly, Karn’s child, who was in the right rear passenger seat.

Sadly the woman died from her injuries the next day. According to reports, Karn’s family and friends said the accident happened just when the woman’s life was beginning to peak; she had not long ago given birth to her first child.

Former Hagerstown woman dies after Wyoming crash, Herald-Mail.com, August 11, 2010

That said, there is a caveat to every person who has walked through a parking area or public roadway: Be careful out there. Especially in places that give us the most comfort and feeling of security, this is where many people drop their guard and possibly increase their risk of bodily harm. While fatal pedestrian accidents may be fewer near a place of worship, the mix of people and cars means that the danger always exists. Any death is tragic, but such deadly accidents should be avoidable if all concerned are doing their part to thwart trouble.

According to a news report, two older parishioners were killed and a third person injured when a sport utility vehicle driven by 63-year-old Mary G. Camilleri suddenly accelerated in reverse hitting the three people. According to a spokesperson for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Camilleri’s vehicle slammed into another SUV and pushed it onto a sidewalk on North Seton Avenue. The vehicle then continued backwards and struck the pedestrians as they were attempting to cross the road. It came to a stop after hitting another parked car.

According to reports, 53-year-old John Cillo and Patricia Mauro-Cillo, 64, were both killed. The 89-year-old mother of Mauro-Cillo, Marian Derosa, was seriously injured.
News accounts stated that a parish nurse tried to revive John Cillo using a defibrillator kept in the church prior to the arrival of emergency personnel. Derosa was treated at the scene and then transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for additional medical attention and observation.

At the time of the article, investigators for the Frederick County Sheriff's Office were planning to meet with the state's attorney regarding possible charges against Camilleri.

Charges weighed in deaths of 2 outside Emmitsburg church, BaltimoreSun.com, August 9, 2010

Two people killed outside Emmitsburg parish, CatholicReview.org, August 10, 2010

A recent news article pointed out the fatal nature of such collisions on public roads. According to reports, a Westminster, MD, crash involving four separate vehicles took the life of a young Maryland teen this past month. Based on police reports, the collision happened on a stretch of Maryland’s Route 27 when a northbound Saturn driven by 19-year-old Nicholas Louis Vidi for some reason veered into the path of a southbound garbage truck. The young Sykesville resident reportedly died at the scene of the accident, which occurred in Carroll County just south of Kate Wagner Road.

As a result of the initial crash, two other vehicles following Vidi’s Saturn also were caught up in the accident. A Honda Civic driven by Barry Mulligan narrowly avoided Vidi’s Saturn, but was hit by a fourth car driven by Lori Ann Lowe of Westminster. Lowe and the driver of the garbage truck, Jeannette Zelaya of Westminster, were injured during the incident according to police.

Emergency crews arriving at the scene could not revive Vidi. They treated Lowe and Zelaya before transporting the two to Carroll Hospital Center for non-life threatening injuries. Mulligan reportedly refused medical treatment. Although defective equipment is always a possible cause, at the time of the article police were still looking into the reason for the crash.

Westminster Maryland car-truck collision: Teenager killed after 4-car wreck, TopWireNews.com, July 22, 2010

Recently, a former high school football star from the River Hill school district was sentenced to a year and a half in jail after being convicted of a DWI-related traffic death late last year of a family friend. The accident happened in late November when now 23-year-old David Erdman was driving a 17-year-old friend, Steven Dankos, in his pickup truck in Howard County, Maryland.

A resident of Ellicott City, Edman pleaded guilty last May to negligent homicide as a result of driving while intoxicated. The charges stemmed from an early morning crash on November 30 when Erdman’s pickup hit several stone pillars. Dankos, who had been traveling in the bed of the pickup truck, was thrown from the vehicle to the ground. Police said that the vehicle was speeding at the time of the crash, which no doubt increased the severity of the accident.

According to news reports, Dankos, Erdman and Erdman's younger brother had all been out on the road following a round of post-football-game parties when the vehicle ran veered off Folly Quarter Road and hit the obstruction. Police said that Erdman's blood-alcohol content (BAC) reading following the crash was 0.21 percent -- or almost three times Maryland’s legal limit. The three occupants had been drinking at parties, according to court documents, some of which had been held in homes where the teens' parents allowed the drinking.

Erdman, who reportedly has already completed a 25-day outpatient alcohol abuse program, was sentenced to five years. However, the judge suspended all but 18 months of that sentence. Erdman will reportedly serve time in the Howard County Detention Center with the recommendation that he be considered for a work release program.

The case highlighted the fact that parents of the partiers had allowed underage teens to drink in their homes; certainly a senseless tragedy that may have been avoided if the adults in charge had been more responsible. Erdman shared the bulk of the blame as he reportedly could have accepted an offer from another friend to drive him and his friends home. , and she said the crash might not have happened at a lower speed. Police found the truck had been speeding on the rural roadway at the moment of the crash.

Former football star gets 18 months for drunk-driving death , BaltimoreSun.com, August 5, 2010

The reasons for head-on highway collisions vary as well. Driver error, intoxicated driving, distractions in the vehicle and external factors can lead to a serious and many times fatal accident. Outside of driver error, one possible reason for any kind of traffic accident can be defective vehicle equipment.

Defective automobile equipment and components, such as braking, steering or other critical systems, can fail unexpectedly and cause a driver to lose control of a car, SUV or commercial truck. Poorly designed or incorrectly manufactured car and truck parts can be the source of both serious and minor auto accidents.

Automotive safety equipment, especially should be test and validated to be certain it is ready to perform correctly over tens of thousands of miles. Owners of a variety of defective vehicles have found out the hard way when parts or components have failed prematurely. The lucky ones escape with just some cuts and bruises. Other are not so lucky.

A recent crash on Seashore Highway may or may not have been the result of defective vehicle equipment. The only thing for certain is that one woman died as a result and several others were seriously injured during the accident.

According to news reports, a Baltimore woman was driving east on Route 18 in early July when her vehicle suddenly veered into the oncoming lanes near Bridgeville, MD. The 24-year-old driver died of injuries sustained when her Nissan Altima crashed into a westbound Chevrolet truck just before 8am on a Wednesday morning.

According to local police, Melissa Marie Mohl suffered severe head trauma as a result of the accident. The driver of the truck, 61-year-old Charles Cave Sr. and his passenger 12-year-old Demetrius Price were also injured in the collision. Mohl’s one-year-old son was a passenger in the Nissan. The baby was injured as well.

Emergency personnel arriving at the scene treated the victims, who were transported to local hospitals. Mohl was taken to Nanticoke Hospital where she later died of her injuries. At the time of the news article, the police were still investigating the cuase fo the accident.

Baltimore woman, 24, killed in crash near Bridgeville, DelmarvaNow.com, July 11, 2010

Whatever the cause of a traffic accident, car-pedestrian collisions can be some of the worst, which also includes car-motorcycle and car-bicycle crashes. In all of these kinds of collisions, the person on foot or on two wheels has a very good chance of being severely hurt or even killed as a result.

A recent news article showed that one man, a Columbia resident, was sentenced to six months in jail following the death of an elderly woman he hit with his vehicle in November 2009. According to reports, 82-year-old Ayten Icgoren died the day after she was struck while trying to cross the street near the Owen Brown Village Center.

Police reports indicated that two witnesses saw 53-year James Walden Beaman Jr. hit the woman with his pickup truck and then leave the scene of the accident. The witnesses stated that Beaman's white Toyota wobbled and seemed to skid as he tried to stop on the wet pavement. Icgoren apparently tried to get out of the way but wasn’t fast enough to escape injury.

Police said that the driver then drove a short way to the village center, then reportedly returned after police and paramedics arrived at the scene of the collision. Although Beaman plead not guilty last May, but reportedly agreed to the facts presented by the prosecution during a hearing.

It was only recently that Beaman was sentenced to 18 months in jail, but most of the sentence was suspended with the defendant having to spend just six months in jail. Convicted for failing to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk as well as leaving the scene of the accident, the man was also ordered to complete 500 hours of community service, plus two years of supervised probation.

Columbia man jailed for hit and run, BaltimoreSun.com, July 15, 2010

As a Baltimore and Washington, D.C., personal injury lawyer, I and my staff understand the physical pain and discomfort that can be associated with pedestrian-auto accidents. While nobody expects to be caught up in an accident with a motorcycle, SUV or minivan, fewer people still would picture themselves being hurt by a police car in their own neighborhood. However, this is apparently what happened to one poor child not long ago in North Baltimore.

According to news accounts, little Alvin Williams had his right leg broken when it was apparently run over by a Baltimore patrol car in July. The freak accident meant the 5-year-old boy would have to spend the balance of the summer with his leg in a cast, rather than playing with his friends. He likely suffered other injuries such as cuts and bruises during the accident.

Based on reports, the boy was playing with neighbors on a hot Tuesday evening when he reportedly ran across Sheridan Avenue as he followed another neighborhood kid. Police said that the youngster darted from between two parked cars and was subsequently hit by a police cruiser that had just turned off York Road. The department said that the officer did not see the child until it was too late.

The accident report shows that Alvin fell to the pavement after hitting the rear quarter panel of the police car cruiser, after which the vehicles back tire ran over the boy’s leg. According to witnesses, Alvin hit the front of the vehicle, fell down and was then run over by the cop’s front tire. While police claim the cruiser was traveling slowly, the boy’s grandfather said that the patrol car was "going at a good speed." The grandfather also claims that the officer was distracted because he was looking for another person in the area.

As Maryland automobile accident attorneys, we have experience in recall-related injury claims in the Baltimore, MD, and Washington, D.C. areas. The Ford recall is just one of numerous safety-related recalls that can affect the ability of a vehicle occupant to survive a serious car or truck crash. According to reports, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the Ford defect increases the risk of injury to the driver or passengers in the event of a traffic accident.

Ford reportedly advised its dealers to stop delivery of its Transit Connect model, which include vans produced between December 2008 and May 2010. The hold on deliveries would supposedly be in force until a suitable revision of the vehicle’s headliner design could be produced and installed on those vehicles.

In addition to the Ford recall, Chrysler reportedly recalled as many as 22,000 vehicles, including certain versions of the 2010 Jeep Wrangler and Liberty SUVs, Ram 1500 pickup trucks, and Dodge Nitro models all manufactured between April and May of this year. The vehicles, according to reports, could have been built using incorrect brake lines, which reportedly could result in brake fluid leaks with potentially disastrous results.

A set of recalls, this time from automotive giant Toyota, involves thousands of Lexus models which may have been assembled using faulty engine valve springs. According to reports, the defective valve springs could result in a vehicle stalling while traveling on the road. This particular problem reportedly affected cars made between July 2005 and August 2008. According to the Reuters news service, Toyota has known about the problem for three years.

The second Toyota recall affects 17,000 Lexus hybrid models. NHTSA testing apparently detected a potentially dangerous condition that could cause gasoline to spill from the vehicle during a rear end collision. Toyota reportedly was trying to replicate the agency’s findings with tests of its own.

Since October, Toyota has recalled nearly nine million vehicles for a range of defective equipment issues, including sticking accelerator pedals, brake system problems, poorly-fitting interior floormats, and sudden unintended acceleration issues. According to news reports, more than 200 personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against Toyota claiming that the company’s products caused the injuries and fatalities.

Ford Motor, Chrysler recall vehicles, Reuters.com, July 9, 2010

Latest Toyota recall based on three-year-old reports, FoxNews.com, July 7, 2010

17,000 Lexus luxury hybrid, Associated Press/Google.com, June 25, 2010

While there are many factors to consider in every automobile accident case, it is important to remember that as drivers, we all have a responsibility to be observant when it comes to watching out for pedestrians. Certainly, when a person uses a designated crosswalk, there is a relative expectation of safety for the individuals crossing the roadway. Pedestrian accidents can and do happen with sometimes tragic results.

But every case is different, which is why we rely on police reports, eye witness testimony and other knowledgeable sources. A recent traffic accident shows what can happen under all the wrong circumstances. According to news reports, a 41-year-old Rosedale, MD, resident was unexpectedly killed along Interstate 695 when he was struck by a passing vehicle.

Police reports showed that Alvarino D. Vigil was apparently trying to walk back to his residence somewhere off the expressway after leaving his disabled vehicle on the shoulder of the interstate, near the I-95 interchange. Police believe Vigil was struck by the other vehicle as he was trying to cross the merging lane from I-95, police said.

The report coming out of the Maryland State Police headquarters stated that the driver of the vehicle that struck Vigil suffered only minor injuries. She was transported to Franklin Square Hospital where she was treated and subsequently released.

Although the accident was still under investigation at the time of the news article, police investigators believe that the accident was not a result of speed or alcohol, but likely due to pedestrian error.

Man Hit, Killed By Car On Beltway, WBLTV.com, June 29, 2010

Drunk driving is certainly one of the more common causes of car crashes in the Baltimore area and elsewhere across our state. It’s a shame that so many people die every year due to abuse of alcohol. As Maryland car accident attorneys, I and my colleagues consider the pain and suffering of the families of victims, not to mention the costs and lost income caused by a bad automobile wreck.

A sad story caught our attention the other day involving a retired Maryland couple who died in a pointless out-of-state car crash. According to the news article, 56-year-old Thomas Cypress was charged with DUI manslaughter for the February 2009 crash that claimed the lives of Robert and Paulette Kirkpatrick. Following his trial in a Miami-Dade courtroom, Cypress was sentenced to 12 years in prison -- a negotiated deal that spared the man a possible maximum 30-year sentence.

Courtroom testimony indicated that Cypress' blood-alcohol level was triple the legal limit in February 2009 when he veered his truck into the opposing lane hitting the Kirkpatrick’s rental car head-on. According to news reports the couple, who were also grandparents to several young children, was in the area for an art show and vacation.

Police said that Cypress was driving on a suspended driver’s license (a result of a previous drunken driving charge). Prior to that, he had been arrested by police on two separate occasions for DWI.

Once his 12-year sentence is up, Cypress will be required to go into an alcohol rehabilitation program, serving 10 additional years of probation and agree never to drive a motor vehicle again. Apparently as part of the deal, Cypress must pay $120,000 to the Kirkpatricks’ family in order to fund a scholarship in the victims' names. According to reports, the survivors signed off on the deal.

Deadly driver Thomas Cypress sentenced to 12 years, MiamiHerald.com, July 1, 2010