A woman named Echo Davis, a Benson, North Carolina native (WUSA9, 09-14-13) was hit by a vehicle on Interstate 495 (I-495) and lost her life. Virginia State Police have stated that a 2005 Mercedes SUV pulled onto the right shoulder of I-495 near the Eisenhower Connector exit in Franconia, Virginia (VA). Mrs. Davis was in that car and decided to exit the vehicle. Before she knew it, a 2007 Subaru SUV traveling east on I-495 slammed into Mrs. Davis ending her life. She was only 27 years old.
Unfortunately, this tragic accident resulted in a second, chain-reaction wreck involving four vehicles. Reports indicate that three vehicles were stopped in the eastbound lanes due the accident involving Mrs. Davis when a fourth vehicle failed to stop in time for traffic and crashed into the third vehicle, according to the Lorton Patch. As a result, that vehicle hit the second vehicle and that vehicle hit the first vehicle. The drivers of the second and third vehicles were transported to local hospitals for injuries.
It’s frustrating to read about these types of terrible accidents that appear to have been preventable. The tragic wreck involving Mrs. Davis may have been avoidable if the driver of the Subaru SUV exercised more caution when approaching the SUV that was on the right shoulder. The same lack of caution may have contributed to the chain reaction crash that followed.
These incidents are a stark reminder of how important it is to be vigilant when you’re traveling on a busy interstate and there are vehicles stopped ahead.