Rockingham County Wreck Kills One, Injures One

A family is mourning the loss of a young man following a tragic accident in Rockingham County, Virginia. Though the accident was certainly not his fault, the role of seatbelts – or lack of seatbelts being used – factors in greatly to what happened in this wreck.

Police say the accident occurred when a 19-year-old driver of a 1998 Ford Taurus was attempting a left turn when a pickup truck smashed into the Ford’s passenger side. The passenger of the Ford, a 20-year-old young man, died at the scene. A woman was also injured in the crash. The driver of the pickup was charged with driving on a suspended license and cited for not wearing a seatbelt.

In fact, none of the men involved in this crash were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. Though the driver of the pickup is clearly at fault, one has to wonder if there might have been a different outcome had the young men in the Ford chosen to wear their seat belts. The safety device is often overlooked and under appreciated, when it is in fact one of the most important inventions of the last hundred years. We take for granted that the seat belt is there, but before they were invented, dying in a car wreck was far more common than it is today.

The next time you debate whether or not to put on your seatbelt, do the responsible thing and buckle up. It takes almost no time and protects you more than you could know. Even if it might be a minor annoyance, seatbelts are indeed life saving devices.

Virginia Personal Injury  Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, contact Richard Serpe for a free case evaluation today. Richard Serpe has helped victims of personal injury and wrongful death accidents for over 33 years.