A Manassas, Virginia (VA), woman is dead after the car in which was passenger was hit by an SUV at the intersection of VA Route 28 and U.S. 17. According to the Free Lance-Star, the driver of a Ford Explorer ran a red light to caused the fatal crash and has been with reckless driving.
This was a tragic and senseless accident. As a Virginia wrongful death lawyer, I know from experience that the sudden and preventable nature of this kind of automobile wreck fatality is especially hard on families and makes the grief process much more complicated. Our condolences go out to the victim’s family and friends. This is surely a sad and confusing time for everyone involved.
We’ve all felt the pressure to beat a stoplight by blowing through a yellow light, but accidents such as the one in northern Virginia should remind us all to be more careful at intersections. Of all the risky driving maneuvers, running red lights is perhaps the most dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System reports that 762 deaths were caused by running red lights in 2008 alone. It is estimated that 165,000 people are injured each year by red light runners, including both pedestrians, passengers and other drivers.
Shockingly, one in three people claim to know someone who was hurt or killed in a red light running accident. These numbers are scarily high and the reality is something that needs to change.
CD