A 17-year-old is dead after a fatal crash this weekend on I-64. The Williamsburg, Virginia (VA), girl was driving east when she lost control of her 1994 Acura Integra. She overcorrected and ran off the road, striking a tree on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Despite wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash, the teen died at the scene of the accident. A passenger was injured and taken to the hospital, but, according t the Virginian-Pilot, will recover.
This is truly a tragedy, and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. It’s difficult to imagine their loss right now. Any accident is tragic, but the loss of a life so young must be even more difficult to deal with.
Though the cause of this crash is still under investigation, we can assume that the driver’s inexperience behind the wheel probably had something to do with the crash. So often, teenagers feel invincible behind the wheel. And while driving does indeed represent independence for so many teens, they can often underestimate just how dangerous driving can be. Sometimes, even seat belts and air bags aren’t enough to protect our young drivers.
A number of factors can contribute to accidents caused by young drivers. Frequently, teen drivers have numerous distractions going on while driving. Loud music, fast food, cell phones, and even fellow passengers can contribute to distracting the teen driver. Especially in today’s multitasking culture, teens feel confident they can devote their attention to multiple tasks at one time. This is can be a fatal mistake.
CD