A collision between a Hyundai Accent and Dodge Durango at U.S. 13 and Temperanceville Road on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (VA) on August 20, 2014, claimed one woman’s life and left five other people injured.
This is the second fatal crash with injuries at the intersection within a week. While wrecks are often unpredictable events that depend on drivers’ attention, physical health and sobriety, as well as weather and traffic conditions, such serious accidents occurring in the same location in such a short time merits investigation by the Virginia Department of Transportation and other authorities into the design of the intersection, as well as the timing and visibility of stop lights and road signs.
Even if the roads and traffic flow need to be redesigned, however, thousands of people pass through the U.S. 13/Temperanceville Road intersection each day without incident. Liability surely rests to some degree with the person who cased this most recent wreck. According to the preliminary police report, that person was the driver of the car, who failed to yield to the oncoming SUV before attempting to enter the highway. Whether that error resulted from the woman’s momentary distraction, impatience or impairment matters little in regards to the tragic outcome for her and the injuries incurred by her passengers and the people in the SUV.
As a Virginia personal injury and wrongful death attorney who has helped dozens of victims of automobile accidents, I know that the survivors of this Eastern Shore crash face long, difficult recoveries. I can only hope that this wreck and the one that occurred a mere few days ago reminds all drivers to exercise more caution at what has proven to be a dangerous, deadly intersection.
EJL