In Tennessee and everywhere else, it is often difficult to know what causes car accidents where a driver loses control of a vehicle and goes off the road into a ditch, tree or other obstruction. This often happens at curves in the road where driving too fast may prevent a driver from handling a change in road patterns. Another common instance of losing control and causing a car crash is when a driver crosses over the center line and heads directly into traffic that is approaching in the opposite direction.
The crossover accident may occasionally be caused by excessive speed, but more often, it is the result of the driver falling asleep or being seriously distracted in some other manner. The factor that is often seen to be the root cause of losing control of one’s vehicle in all of the different scenarios is driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol. Another growing factor is where the driver attempts to drive while distracted from operating mobile phones and other electronic devices.
In Polk County recently, another crossover accident proved to be deadly. The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that a 20-year-old man driving a Chevy Cavalier was driving east on Highway 64 when he lost control and crossed over the center line. As a result, he crashed head-on into an oncoming tractor trailer. The driver and passenger in the Cavalier both died in the crash. Witnesses reported that the Cavalier was swaying and swerving on the road before crossing over.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol alleges in its report that the deceased Cavalier driver was drinking and driving when the car crash occurred. The family of his deceased passenger may be able to recover damages for wrongful death against the operator’s estate. The fact of drinking and driving may allow for a larger demand for settlement based on the possibility of an award of punitive damages for wanton behavior.
Source: wrcbtv.com, “UPDATE: Driver of fatal Hwy. 64 in Polk County dies“, June 15, 2015