Fatal Traffic Accidents

Off-duty Maryland Police Officer Dies in Single-Car Traffic Accident

October 21, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It can happen to anybody, and the results are tragically similar no matter who the individual may be. Auto accidents can take a person’s life as quickly as a blink of an eye. Injuries are more likely, but the root cause is always suspect. In the recent case of the untimely death of a Maryland law enforcement professional, the question of driver error versus defective equipment comes into play. As a Maryland automobile accident attorney, my firm runs into situations like this all of the time.

According to reports, a Baltimore police officer died following a terrible single-vehicle accident on Black Rock Road. The 32-two-year-old off-duty patrolman was apparently on his way to work, driving his pickup truck eastbound just before 2pm in the afternoon of September 24.

Jason Simons, who was a seven-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department and assigned to the Towson precinct, apparently lost control of his vehicle in a sharp turn on a wet section of roadway. Investigators said that the vehicle hit a guardrail and then flipped onto its top, trapping the officer. When emergency crews arrived they extricated Simons from his truck and treated him. He was flown to Shock Trauma, however he died before doctors could save him.

University of Maryland Drunk Driving Checkpoint Dedicated to Student Killed in Fatal Accident

October 18, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Drunk driving in Baltimore and other parts of Maryland contribute substantially to annual traffic deaths. Many innocent people are killed or injured every year by drivers operating cars, trucks and SUVs under the influence of alcohol. This negligent behavior by these motorists causes much pain and suffering to individuals and families affected by their actions. As Maryland automobile accident attorneys, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers is dedicated to helping those injured by drunk drivers.

A recent article mentioned a sobriety checkpoint near the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, that was dedicated to the memory of a young college coed who lost her life to the senselessness of a drunk driving accident. Traveling north on Maryland’s Route 1 the evening of September 24, motorists would have noticed an odd sight: a large photo of a smiling college-age girl.

The photo of Amanda Moore, a UMBC student who was killed by a drunk driver four years ago when she was 22, was placed at the front of a sobriety checkpoint set up by University Police.

Baltimore County Teen Dies in Fatal Single-car Accident on Interstate 83 Offramp

October 15, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A young man from Baltimore County, MD, was tragically killed after the vehicle that he was driving left the road near the junction of Interstate 83 and the Baltimore Beltway. The single-car accident occurred on a southbound I-83 offramp near Lutherville, Maryland. According to police, 17-year-old Kwest T. Logan, a resident of Cockeysville, was headed to the westbound Baltimore Beltway when his vehicle veered off the roadway and crashed some distance from the interstate.

As a Maryland car accident attorney, I know that a crash such as the one described here could have happened as a result of a number of causes. Driver error is always a possibility, however defective steering parts, a blow-out from old or improperly maintained tires, or warn out brakes could be the cause. In the end, defective equipment can many times be due to the negligence of another person or company.

In this case, according to the news report, Logan’s black 1997 Nissan Maxima for some reason left the roadway and hit a tree about 75 feet from the offramp, most likely during the evening hours of Sunday, September 27. It wasn’t until the next morning that a passing motorist called police after noticing light reflecting off the car while driving in slow-moving traffic during morning rush hour.

Baltimore County Woman Killed in Crash with Delivery Truck on I-795

October 8, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Baltimore County woman died from injuries sustained when her Honda Civic veered from a southbound lane of Interstate 795, traveled across the median and entered the northbound lanes where it was hit by a delivery truck. According to Maryland State Police, the 21-year-old driver identified as Amy L. Brooking initially survived the head-on crash with the truck, but later died after being admitted to Sinai Hospital.

As Maryland auto accident lawyers, we have seen this kind of scenario before. It is difficult to imagine a driver intentionally crossing an interstate median and heading into opposing traffic. Assuming the driver did not have some kind of an episode prior to the crash, one explanation for this accident could be a catastrophic failure of one of the vehicle’s critical systems or parts, such as the steering assembly, a suspension component or even a blown tire. One or more defective parts or components could have cause the young woman’s vehicle to go out of control.

According to police reports, the delivery truck attempted to maneuver out of the way of the Honda, which caused the truck to flip over on its side. Although emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the scene as quickly as possible to assist and transport the injured drivers to the hospital, Brooking’s injuries were such that doctors and nurses could not reverse the damage. She was declared dead shortly after being admitted. The driver of the truck, 32-year-old William K. Dodge of Hanover, PA, was taken to Northwest Hospital Center for treatment of what were assumed to be non-life threatening injuries.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Drunk Driving on the Rise for Women Drivers

October 5, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland auto accident lawyers, our office has represented numerous clients injured as a result of a drunk driving traffic accident. Many of these people did nothing more prior to being in a car wreck than happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although there could be a number of reasons for the apparent increase in drunk driving accidents, a recent article points to one surprisingly sobering statistic.

According to the Washington Post, there appears to be a definite rise in the number of female drivers being arrested for drunk driving lately. Unfortunately, not every drunk driver is arrested before causing an accident. Our firm, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers has helped many victims of drunk drivers recover costs related to severe and sometimes fatal accidents.

Maybe TV has made mid-day wine-tasting parties look fashionable, enticing stay-at-home moms and real housewives to gather at friends’ homes to sip wine or mixed drinks with their friends. And while the television characters may get home just fine, in reality the aftermath caused by a drunk driver will more than likely end up on the local news, not the prime time lineup. Drunk drivers can and do cause serious injury accidents here in Baltimore, over in D.C. and across the entire area.

Maryland Man Dies from Injuries Sustained in Single-car Accident on MD-194

October 3, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Single-vehicle traffic accidents can be both serious and deadly. In Maryland, we see numerous car crashes involving just one vehicle, and many times a rollover is involved. Sad to say, but many passenger vehicles, such as pickup trucks and SUVs, do not always provide the necessary protection in the case of vehicle rollover. Being experienced auto accident lawyers, we are able to represent victims and their families in cases where a car or truck crashes due to defective equipment or poorly-maintained roadways.

In a recent news article, a Walkersville man was killed this past Friday in the late afternoon. According to Maryland State Police, officers responded to a single-car crash along MD-194 at Stauffer Road. Initial police reports indicate that the driver, Roger Robinette, was speeding along that stretch of road when he apparently and lost control of the vehicle.

According to reports, Robinette’s car went airborne then rolled over on impact, coming to rest in a nearby cornfield. During the crash, the driver was thrown from the vehicle, which caused him to sustain life-threatening injuries.

Two Marland Residents Dead following Fatal Charles County Single-car Auto Accident

September 30, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A hospitalized St. Mary’s County man died from injuries sustained one week earlier as a result of a fatal single-vehicle crash on Route 6 near the town of La Plata, MD. Adrian Paul Proffer, a resident of Hollywood, Maryland, was the second person to die from the September 8 crash — a third person survived the wreck, but not without receiving life-threatening injuries herself.

Although police believe speed was a contributing factor, because this was a single-car accident defective equipment is also a possibility. As Maryland automobile accident lawyers our office handles personal injury cases caused by poorly designed or improperly maintained vehicle equipment.

This is a tremendous tragedy for all of the families involved. According to news reports, Proffer was scheduled to babysit his niece that morning and was late returning home from a night out. His aunt, Dottie Proffer, believes the driver was rushing him home for that reason when the deadly accident occurred.

Jury Awards $4 Million to Family of University of Maryland Student Killed in Car Crash

September 28, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Prince George’s County jury recently awarded $4 million to the family of a University of Maryland student who was killed in a 2007 automobile wreck involving an off-duty county police officer in Bowie, MD. The civil case ended with a decision showing that the officer, Cpl. Mario Chavez, was negligent in the fatal accident that killed 20-year-old Brian Gray on December 10, 2007.

As Maryland car accident lawyers, we have great respect for law enforcement professionals and the work they do, however a police officer cannot afford a lapse in judgment, especially when it comes to causing the death of an innocent person. This jury’s award is a message to police agencies throughout Maryland that off-duty officers should conform to the same rules of the road that other motorists are expected to observe. This crash is an example of that lack of consideration.

According to news reports, the victim was on his way to take an exam in College Park when his Chevrolet Beretta was hit broadside at nearly 50mph by a police cruiser driven by Chavez, who was off duty and heading home at the time. The posted speed limit in that area is reportedly 25mph.

Maryland Route 4 Single-vehicle Car Accident Kills Two in Anne Arundel County

September 18, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A teenage driver was severely injured and his two passengers killed when the vehicle they were riding in crashed off Maryland’s Route 4 in Anne Arundel County last month. According to reports, the Bradley Buta, 19, was at the wheel and driving near Lowell Pindall Road when the incident took place.

The crash happened just before 6pm not far from the Calvert County line. Police investigators believe that the young driver somehow lost control of the 2003 Toyota Highlander he was driving, after which the vehicle went off the road and struck a traffic sign. The impact then caused the SUV to flip and roll into the nearby woods.

After emergency crews arrived, the driver was taken to Prince George’s Hospital Center with serious, but not life-threatening injuries. His two passengers were not as lucky. Katherine Marie Buta, 57, and Douglas Donald Houglund, 67, were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Maryland Man Found Guilty in Fatal Drunk Driving Accident in Pasadena, MD

September 15, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Maryland man was convicted recently of vehicular manslaughter stemming from a traffic accident last January that killed a Baltimore woman and severely injured her boyfriend. The defendant, Christopher Nelson, will face up to a year and a half in jail when he goes before a court in October for sentencing. As a Maryland car accident lawyer, I am committed to my clients. Although this man will be sentenced in October, the pain and suffering continues for the families of the victims.

The defendant was reportedly drunk when the crash occurred last January 8. Although he pleased guilty and claims to be sorry for the incident, that’s cold comfort for these victims. One person is dead and another suffered life-threatening injuries the physical and emotional scars from which will more than likely stay with him for many years to come.

According to reports, the 26-year-old Nelson was driving while intoxicated when he crashed his car head-on into a southbound vehicle on Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard in Pasadena. Elizabeth Meryl Fowler, 54, died in the wreck and her boyfriend, 45-year-old Steven Desombre, received multiple injuries to the head, chest and hip that required him to spend a month in a Baltimore hospital.