Late last month, a DUI driver killed a motorcyclist in a wrong-way crash on Highway 76 outside of Nashville. According to The Tennessean, the wrong-way accident involved three vehicles and happened in the morning in Robertson County.
Reportedly, leading up to the crash, a 24-year-old man was driving a 2006 Buick LCX west on Highway 76 when he swerved across the center line and collided head-on with a 40-year-old man on a motorcycle. Upon impact, the motorcycle was split in two. One half of the motorcycle was dragged underneath the Buick, while the other half hit a Chevrolet van that was traveling behind the motorcycle prior to the accident.
The motorcyclist died on the scene, and the driver of the van was not injured in the crash. The Tennessee Highway Patrol suspects the driver of the Buick was driving under the influence of alcohol. He is facing vehicular homicide charges and was being held at the Robertson County Jail without bond at the time of this report.
WHAT CAN I DO TO AVOID A WRONG-WAY DRIVER?
Wrong-way crashes can be much more difficult to avoid than many believe, especially if it is dark outside at the time of the incident. In many cases, both vehicles are traveling at high speeds while headed toward one another, which often gives the drivers only a split second or two to react. In addition, the other driver in a wrong-way accident may be driving drunk, which means his or her decision-making is both slowed and impaired. This is a recipe for disaster.
Therefore, to protect yourself and your family, it is important that you learn what you need to do if you are ever faced with a wrong-way driver. Here are a few tips:
- Move to Your Right – In many cases, if a wrong-way driver is driving drunk, he or she will probably move into the right lane thinking it is the slow lane in an effort to avoid getting pulled over for speeding. Therefore, if you move to your right, you may be able to avoid a wrong-way collision.
- Keep Your Eyes on the Road – Don’t just look a few hundred feet ahead. Keep your eyes on the road immediately in front of you as well as far ahead as you can see. This will give you time to see any potential dangers, such as a wrong-way driver, sooner rather than later.
- Use Your Signals – Alert the wrong-way driver which direction you are going to head in with your turn signals. If the other driver sees this, it will hopefully result in him or her moving in the opposite direction.
- Wear Your Seatbelt – Wrong-way crashes are often head-on collisions, which means your safety belt may be the only thing between you and a fatal injury.
- Keep an Eye on the Road Reflectors – In many cases, the reflectors on the road are dual colored. They will appear white or yellow if you are driving in the correct direction and red if you are not.
- Call 911 – If you are able to avoid a wrong-way driver, afterwards, pull over as soon as safely possible and call 911. Reporting the situation to the police may give them time to stop the wrong-way driver from causing an accident.
Nashville personal injury lawyer Stanley A. Davis has spent nearly 28 years defending the rights of victims injured in drunk driving accidents, motorcycle accidents and wrong-way accidents in Middle Tennessee.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Source: https://tennessean.com/story/news/2016/06/30/one-dead-crash-highway-76-robertson-county/86546830/