Head-on collisions are inherently perplexing accidents. How could two vehicles traveling in opposite directions collide with each other? The two witnesses with the most knowledge—the drivers—are frequently killed in the collision. Passengers often do not observe or recall the sequence of events with enough specificity to offer material assistance to investigating officers. A recent head-on collision on I-95 in Abingdon, Maryland, demonstrates some of these difficulties.
The crash
The two vehicles, a Subaru Forester and a GMC Terrain, collided around 6 p.m. near Exit 77 in Abingdon. Most descriptions of the collision appear to have come from witnesses who were not involved. Police believe that the GMC Terrain was southbound when its driver lost control. The vehicle then became airborne and flew into the northbound traffic lanes and struck the northbound Subaru. Witnesses told police that the GMC SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control.
After the accident, police said that they were investigating all possible causes of the crash, including the potential of the driver speeding and possibly driving while impaired.
Injuries
Two passengers from the Subaru were taken to Shock Trauma for treatment. Their conditions were unknown when the first media reports were published.
Addressing possible negligence
The initial media reports of this accident appear to point to the driver of the GMC SUV as being negligent in failing to obey speed limits in that section of the interstate. The two passengers in the Subaru appear to have a strong basis for collecting damages from the driver of the GMC. The survivors of the driver of the Subaru may have an equally strong claim for wrongful death damages. The issue of fault will probably be decided by a jury if the parties and their attorneys are unable to agree on a settlement before the case goes to trial.
