Terrible Mississauga Car Accident results in fatal Injuries for Two Young People

On the evening of October 13th, a terrible crash involving a car and a tractor trailer truck on Dixie Road in Mississauga claimed the lives of a 20-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man.  The third occupant of the car, a 21-year-old Toronto man was rushed to a hospital with serious injuries. Initial information, based on eyewitness comments, suggests that the car was travelling very fast just before the accident and hit the tractor trailer as the large truck was making a left turn.  The impact caused the car to flip up, rotate and turn facing the opposite direction, according to an October 13 CTV News report.  The car's engine subsequently caught on fire, which was apparently put out by bystanders who brought fire extinguishers to the scene.  All three vehicle occupants needed to be extricated from the vehicle.

The cause of this tragic accident is yet to be determined by police officers investigating the crash, but whatever the circumstances, the loved ones of the young people who were killed face a devastating loss, one that no parents ever contemplate having to face.   

According to the Ontario 2014 Road Safety Annual report, large trucks are a common factor in motor vehicle fatalities in Ontario, although they are not often the cause of a collision.

Situations with the highest road fatalities

• Drinking and driving – 24.9%
• Large truck collisions – 21.8%
• Pedestrian fatalities – 19.5%
• Inattentive driving incidents – 17.9%
• Speed-related accidents – 17%
• Unbelted occupants – 12.5%
• Motorcyclist fatalities – 11.6%

Note that the above numbers do not add up to 100% because in some fatalities, multiple factors play a role.  The risk of suffering a fatal injury in a collision with a large truck involves a disproportionately high risk to the occupants of the smaller vehicle involved in the accident, and it is far less common for the truck driver (who is well-protected by the mass of the much larger vehicle) to suffer serious injury or death.

Although the risk of fatalities has been proven to be greater in large truck collisions, an Ontario Ministry of Transportation study of car accidents suggests that large truck drivers who are involved in a fatal collision are far more likely to be obeying traffic laws and driving ‘properly’ than other vehicle drivers.  Along the same vein, large truck drivers are much less likely to drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs.  And, only rarely does a mechanical problem or defect in the truck contribute to a car accident.  Some of the legislation that has likely contributed to improvements in large truck safety in recent years includes Ontario’s truck speed limiter law, electronic logging devices and mandatory entry level training.

While safety among large truck drivers has improved, unfortunately, several other contributing factors in many Ontario road fatalities are seeing an opposite trend.  Specifically, speeding and distracted/inattentive driving are a significant problem in Ontario and play a role in many car accidents.  These issues also often contribute to cycling and pedestrian fatalities. Unfortunately, many Ontario drivers overestimate their ability to safely handle their vehicle while driving at a high speed.

According to Canada Safety Council (January 2014), studies have shown that speeding increases the probability and severity of a crash. The faster we drive, the less time we have to react to a hazard and the less time for other drivers to react to our vehicle.  As our vehicle’s speed increases over 100 km/hr, the risk of fatality for vehicle occupants increases exponentially.  Your chance of being killed at 120 km/hr is four times as much as at 100 km/hr.  Our speed similarly matters when driving more slowly on city streets, as a pedestrian or cyclist is far more likely to be killed if struck by a vehicle traveling at a higher speed.

If you or a loved one sustained a serious injury caused by a negligent driver and you are considering claiming for damages, called the well-respected Mississauga car accident lawyers to find out about your legal options for obtaining deserved compensation.  An initial consultation is free and will allow us to learn the facts of your case and answer any of your legal questions regarding your unique situation.  Call us today to find out how we can help.

Sources:

www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/publications/pdfs/preliminary-2014-orsar-selected-statistics.pdf

canadasafetycouncil.org/traffic-safety/higher-speeds-drive-traffic-deaths

ontruck.org/mto-report-confirms-trucks-and-truck-drivers-are-safest-2/