Fatal Car Wreck Due to Winter Weather
A man in Dickson County died last week in an accident caused by the brutal winter weather happening in the Nashville area. James Hill, 46, of White Bluff was killed last Thursday morning around midnight when the vehicle that he was riding in crashed. The accident occurred while the car, a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer, was driving eastbound on Highway 70.
According to the police, the Trailblazer was going up the hill when the vehicle started to slide and went off onto the left side of the road. Once there it overturned because of the icy conditions, and Mr. Hill was riding in the back seat. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. The driver of the vehicle was Taylor Jones, 68, of White Bluff and the two other passengers in the Trailblazer were Beverly Davenport, 45, and Collin Davenport, 30, also of White Bluff. At the time of the accident, they were all wearing their seatbelts and sustained only minor injuries as a result of the crash.
This has been the only fatal wreck solely because of the winter weather around Nashville so far this year. The National Weather Service and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency expect temperatures to remain low and conditions icy over the next few days. This will keep many roadways slick and hazardous for an extended period of time in West and Middle Tennessee.
As a result of the accident, the National Guard in Tennessee kept four units on standby in Dickson, Cookeville, Jackson and Murfreesboro Counties until Friday to help with wellness checks and other life-safety needs in case they arose. The Tennessee Highway Patrol last week reported 14 other weather-related events and eight other car accidents as a result of the winter storms.
Weather Related Accidents
According to the Federal Highway Administration, between 2002 and 2012 an average of 23% of all vehicle crashes around the country occurred because of adverse weather conditions. It also accounted for 20% of all traffic accident injuries as well as 17% of all traffic fatalities.
On average, snow and sleet cause 211,188 accidents per year with 58,011 people injured and 769 people dying in accidents. Snow and sleet-related accidents account for 17% of all weather-related accidents as well as 13% of weather-related injuries and fatalities. Over the same average time period, icy conditions on pavement caused 154,580 accidents per year in addition to causing 45,133 personal injuries and 580 deaths. Icy conditions account for twelve percent of all weather-related traffic accidents and ten percent of all weather-related injuries and deaths.
Contact a Nashville Lawyer Today
If you or someone that you know has been involved in a car accident because of the icy winter weather in the Nashville area, let the personal injury lawyers at Calhoun Law, PLC help. Call or contact the office today for a confidential and free consultation of your case.