Five people are dead after a car crash late last month in Queens. The accident happened around 3:15 a.m. According to reports, a Mercedes Benz sports utility vehicle sped through two stoplights before crashing into a concrete pillar. The initial impact caused the vehicle to flip over and burst into flames.
Three women died at the scene of the car accident along with two children. In addition to the driver of the vehicle, a 26-year-old man and a 7-year-old boy survived the horrific crash.
One fire official called the accident “the worst single car accident he had seen in his 26-year career.”
It is not clear why the driver was traveling at such a high rate of speed. However, a crash like this is an example of the kind of tragedies that can occur when drivers do to not obey traffic laws.
Negligent driving continues to be a problem all across the country. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced that more than 7,600 people died in traffic accidents in the first quarter of the year alone, a 13.5 percent increase from the first quarter of 2011.
Officials blame some of the accidents on this year’s unseasonably warm winter. Because the winter months were so mild, more people hit the road.
Although the temperatures may have contributed to the increase in traffic fatalities during the first quarter, reckless driving was likely a factor in many of the accidents. When people are distracted, impaired or ignoring traffic laws, terrible tragedies can occur.
A motor vehicle is not a toy. In order to prevent accidents, people must remain cautious and attentive whenever they are behind the wheel.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, “NYC car crash kills 5, including 2 kids; 3 hurt,” Associated Press, July 22, 2012
