The crash near Fond du Lac was just before 8 p.m. Sunday, leaving six people injured, law enforcement officials said.
]]> The Kiel child and two young siblings were in a Cadillac Escalade with their mother, 33, when a Reedsville man, 24, in a 2009 Toyota Tundra pick-up truck headed west failed to yield the right of way at a stop sign and hit the Cadillac headed south on Wisconsin 32/57.The driver of the Toyota pick-up was later arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and causing great bodily harm, according to a statement from the Calumet County Sheriff's Department.
The mother was transported with a two-year-old child by ambulance to a hospital in Appleton. They both had injuries not deemed to be life-threatening.
Another child, just one year old, was taken by ambulance to a medical center with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.
The four-year-old was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Green Bay with life-threatening injuries. The genders of the children were not released by law enforcement officials.
The driver of the pick-up was also injured. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital with injuries not considered to be life-threatening.
In these kinds of cases, well wishes go out first and foremost to the injury victims. We hope for their speedy and full recoveries from their injuries.
We also hope that the person responsible for these serious injuries and the trauma accompanying this kind of experience is held both criminally and financially responsible for the damage done.
Source: HTRnews.com: "Kiel child critically injured in accident," May 14, 2012
]]>An article notes that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a preliminary report, which estimates that 32,310 people died on highways last year. Fortunately, that number is lower than the 32,885 deaths reported in 2010.
]]> Sources say that traffic fatalities have fallen in recent years. In 2005, there were 43,510. The fatality rate per 100 million miles of travel has also decreased. In 2005, it was 1.46; however, in 2010, it was reported at 1.11. Furthermore, that rate is expected to decrease to 1.09 for 2011.The number of projected fatalities dropped or stayed the same for most regions, except California and Arizona. The preliminary report suggests that fatalities in these areas actually increased by 3.3 percent.
Nevertheless, the preliminary information gives motorists a good glimpse into accident statistics around our nation. While sources do not give an exact reason for the steady decline in collisions, the information helps shed light on the progress of crash prevention. As agencies continue to address issues related to motor vehicle safety, hopefully the crash numbers will continue to decrease in coming years. The official report with final statistics will be released in the fall.
Source: USA Today, "Feds estimate 2011 had fewest traffic deaths on record," Todd Spangler, May 8, 2012.
]]>Researchers have in the past looked into the factors that put teen drivers at risk, but there hadn't been a major study of teen drivers and passengers since all states adopted graduated licensing laws, beginning in the 1990s.
]]> Here in Wisconsin, teens aged 15 years and six months or above can apply for an instruction permit that comes with restrictions, including that they must be accompanied by an experienced driver (someone with at least two years of licensed experience). That experienced driver must be an instructor, parent, guardian or spouse who is at least 19 years old.If the teen with the instruction permit wants to drive when it's dark outside, that qualified, experienced driver must be at least 25 years or older.
Why have states gone to graduated driver's licenses? The answer lies, in part, in the results of AAA's study of fatal crashes involving teen drivers.
A 16- or 17-year-old driver's chances of being killed in a car accident drop by 62 percent when they have a passenger age 35 or older in the vehicle.
If that same 16- or 17-year-old driver is accompanied by a passenger younger than 21 -- with no adult in the car -- the study found that the risk of a fatal crash rose 44 percent.
Put two passengers under 21 in the car (again, with no adult present) and the risk increases by 100 percent. Three or more such passengers? The risk of a fatal wreck is quadrupled.
Source: Associated Press, "Study: A teenage driver's risk of dying in a crash goes up sharply with other teens in the car," May 8, 2012
]]>One of the students examining the van had herself been in a car accident just a couple days earlier; a crash caused by a texting driver who ran a stop sign.
]]> "No one realizes how much one decision can change someone's life," the eleventh grader said.We all make choices in life, the survivor of that Memorial Day crash about 60 miles west of La Crosse told Austin, Minnesota, told the high school students.
The poor decisions made by a 25-year-old man who decided to drink and drive led to the deaths of five of her loved ones, the woman told the students.
The man fell asleep while driving east on a highway, slamming his vehicle into one the woman was in. His blood alcohol level was tested after the crash at 0.18 percent, more than twice the 0.08 percent that is grounds for a drunk driving arrest.
"We all have choices," the woman told the assembled students. "We have so many choices when we get behind the wheel."
That man's choice to drink and drive took the lives of the woman's daughter, 19, her fiancé, 45, a family friend, 23, her two-year-old grandson and her five-week-old son.
The woman showed the students photos of her family and talked about each one, including the story of how her grandson "fought for his life" for six days before he died as a result of injuries sustained in the wreck.
The woman has spoken to high school audiences in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota, she said. She wants to try to make sure the tragedy she's endured "does not happen to anyone else."
Source: Austin Post-Bulletin, "Survivor of 2009 Memorial Day crash speaks to Austin students," Heather Rule, May 4, 2012
]]>Although emergency crews were able to get the people out of the dangling vehicle, a 66-year-old backseat passenger in the SUV later died of injuries sustained in a chain-reaction car accident police said was caused by a hit-and-run driver.
]]> Law enforcement officials said the woman died of blunt force trauma injuries to her head.The accident occurred as a family was driving to Disneyland near Los Angeles. A 43-year-old man was at the wheel of the Toyota SUV when it was struck from behind by a Nissan Altima swerving to avoid a vehicle making an illegal lane change.
The collision sent the Toyota Rav4 skidding wildly, before it overturned, flipping several times before it came to a stop with part of its mangled chassis hanging over an overpass. Thirty feet below, a road construction crew was busy working on a project.
Quick-thinking workers positioned a large forklift onto the bridge and used it to help hold the mangled SUV in place until emergency personnel could arrive and extricate the driver and passengers.
The Nissan that struck the Toyota also ran into a pick-up truck, sending that vehicle into a guardrail.
The driver of the Toyota Rav4 suffered broken ribs, bruises and cuts. Two other passengers, both in the backseat, were treated at a nearby hospital for lacerations.
The other motorists in the collisions were reportedly unhurt.
The driver of the gray or beige Honda that started the chain reaction of crashes did not stop. Police are searching for that person.
Source: WXOW, "1 person dies after SUV dangles from freeway," April 25, 2012
]]>The teens gathered at a resort about 100 miles to the east of La Crosse to share information about texting dangers that can cause car accidents and injuries.
]]> The Wisconsin State Patrol was also on hand. In addition, sponsors of the texting summit also put together a texting obstacle course to give students a better idea of the dangers of texting.One sophomore from a suburban Milwaukee school told a newspaper that "no text is worth dying over."
The safety programs head of the Wisconsin State Patrol agreed. He said auto accidents are the top cause of teen fatalities across the nation.
To combat texting behind the wheel, Wisconsin last year enacted a law prohibiting the behavior. A violation carries a $400 fine.
So far, there have been more than 250 convictions for the offense in the state.
Too often, though, violators are only identified in the aftermath of an accident.
The State Patrol officer said texting isn't the only form of dangerous behind-the-wheel behavior. He said talking on a phone, using other electronic devices, eating, drinking, fixing your hair, reading and talking with passengers can also lead to inattentive driving, raising the risks of car crashes.
He said research shows that 16 percent of teenage drivers who were involved in a crash in which someone died were distracted before the collision. Forty percent of teens say they've been a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone using a cellphone at the time.
The goal, he said, is to get teens to change their behavior so that they can live long past their teenage years.
Source: wiscnews.com: "Teens review dangers of texting while driving," April 27, 2012
]]>Now the two women -- a mother and daughter -- who own the dogs in the attack far from us in La Crosse are to be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
]]> The San Diego mother, 40, and daughter, 20, face up to four years and eight months each in state prison if they're convicted on the charges.Their dogs attacked their elderly neighbor on Christmas Eve.
The neighbor was in her fenced-in yard at the time of the attack. Witnesses said the dogs forced their way through a gap in the fence separating the yards and attacked the woman.
The victim had to undergo surgery to amputate her left arm below the elbow. Later, surgeons amputated her left leg below the knee. More recently, doctors had been forced to amputate her right leg as well.
The victim had spent her time in physical rehabilitation centers and hospitals since the dogs attacked her last June. She underwent a series of eight surgeries after the brutal dog-bite attack.
After her death, her husband of 54 years said, "We were always together everywhere. We really looked after each other real good."
They had lived in their home 40 years, he said.
There was no word in the article we read on this tragedy about whether the husband is seeking compensation from the neighbors for his wife's enormous medical bills.
Source: 10news.com: "Mom, Daughter To Stand Trial In Fatal Dog Attack," April 23, 2012
]]>Unfortunately, too many teenagers don't understand that responsibility comes with freedom, mobility and a driver's license. Irresponsible, untrained drivers are behind so many car accidents that result in injuries and fatalities, according to a report by WXOW-TV of La Crosse.
]]> That's why Gundersen Lutheran each year offers its free Teen Car Control Clinic. It's open to teenage drivers ages 15 to 19, as long as they have a driver's license or learner's permit."We're bringing in teen drivers and teaching them defensive driving, accident avoidance-type techniques in a very controlled setting," said a spokesperson for Gundersen Lutheran's trauma unit.
While teens are typically thrilled to get their permits and licenses -- "it was awesome," one teen told the TV station -- their parents are often less than ecstatic.
As we wrote in this space last week, while car accidents are killing fewer teenagers today than in the past, car crashes are still a top cause of deaths among the young.
That's why concerned parents do much more than hand their car keys to their kids. Some take them to driving clinics such as the one at Gundersen Lutheran.
One father who took his daughter to the clinic said there were a number of good reasons to go.
"The main reason was, it's good to have the person push the vehicle a little bit beyond the normal so when you hit those emergency situations you can react properly."
He said that helping his daughter learn how to handle the car in unusual or emergency situations will help keep her safe.
"But I think you're gonna worry no matter what," he added.
Source: WXOW: "Car Control Clinic for Teens," April 22, 2012
]]>The crash was far from La Crosse, on the other side of the state, near Two Rivers.
]]> A 44-year-old woman has been charged with three felony counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle in the case. She's accused of slamming her van into a 79-year-old man, his wife, 75, and their daughter, 48, killing all three as they stood outside a home.The driver's son, just six years old, sustained a tear of his aorta in the Oct. 11 wreck. His mother's blood-alcohol content was measured afterwards at 0.209 percent, more than double the legal threshold in Wisconsin.
The three family members had been standing in the yard of the elderly couple's son, who was having work done on his roof.
The son was there at the time his family members were hit by the runaway van and killed by what law enforcement officials said was blunt force trauma.
The van went speeding off the road, through a ditch and then the yard, hit the three people and then continued on before slamming into a tree.
The man who witnessed the deaths of his family members was described as "very traumatized" at the time.
It must be difficult for him to this day to absorb the events of that day. There was no word in the news article we read that indicated whether or not he is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver.
Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette: "Manitowoc woman accused of killing 3 while driving drunk pleads not guilty," April 17, 2012
]]>One of the big reasons for the drop, experts say, is the 41 percent reduction in car accident fatalities. Those traffic fatalities account for at least half of all accidental deaths of children in the nation.
]]> The death rate for teenagers and children ages 19 and younger plummeted 30 percent from 2000 to 2009. There were 12,400 accidental deaths among the age group in 2000, which fell to about 9,100 by 2009."We've made progress, and because we've made progress our children are safer than ever before," said a spokesperson for the federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC released the report.
However, accidental deaths remain the leading cause of death among those ages 19 and younger.
The CDC said that on average, one member of that demographic group dies every hour in a car accident, fire, fall or other accident.
Officials believe the drop in traffic fatalities among the young can be attributed to a variety of factors, including improved vehicle safety, graduated drivers' licenses and improvements in child car seats and booster seats.
The CDC reports childhood deaths in fires, falls and drowning are also down significantly.
One area in which childhood deaths have surged is prescription drug overdoses. The alarming trend is mostly among adults, but it reaches down into the ranks of teenagers as well.
Source: WXOW: "Fewer children die in accidents; drug overdoses up," Mike Stobee, April 16, 2012
]]>Avid bike riders attended a La Crosse Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan workshop on Saturday. Citizens were able to identify several roads and traffic patterns that could use improvements to make them more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. Reducing the number of accidents was a priority, particularly in the downtown area where bikes are not allowed on the sidewalks and there are no bicycle lanes available.
Crossing Losey Boulevard safely is extremely difficult and a hot spot for accidents. While many tout La Crosse as bicycle-friendly, our city planner admitted the trails and lanes are somewhat disjointed. Adding safety improvements like adding bicycle lanes to Monitor and Clinton Streets were also suggested.
]]> In some municipalities, the addition of bike lanes on city streets means additional police interaction. No longer able to get by with an abbreviated report for bike or pedestrian accidents, some cities now require police officers to investigate and file complete accident reports whenever bicycles are involved in any moving vehicle accident. The authorities do not often take bike or pedestrian accidents very seriously unless a victim has sustained a life-threatening injury.According to current Wisconsin statutes, the bicycle is actually defined as a vehicle. Bicyclists are operators of vehicles and subject to the same rights and duties as the drivers of any over vehicle.
Source: News8000.com, "City works to make streets safer for bikers and walkers," Pauleen Le, April 14, 2012
]]>She was in a child-restraint safety seat at the time of the crash far from us in La Crosse.
]]> The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, accident was in the northbound lane of a highway. A tractor-trailer approached an intersection in the early afternoon and rammed the SUV from behind. The SUV was knocked forward into a minivan.Four other people were injured in the crash, including a young boy in the SUV with the little girl who was killed.
At her funeral attended by over 100 people, family, friends and members of the community wept over the tragic loss of young life.
A media report on the funeral said family members declined to speak with with the press, but a close family friend said the family was heartbroken.
They had previously lost one of the little girl's older brothers, according to the report.
She was survived by a twin sister, an older sister and two older brothers, as well as her parents.
The community has already held several fundraisers for the distraught family.
One of the organizers said the loss of a young child "affects everybody."
Family members are undoubtedly grateful for the emotional and financial support in their trying time.
One report said it might take several weeks for authorities to decide whether to charge the truck driver in the fatal accident. The accident is currently under investigation.
Source: CarolinaLive.com: "Family and friends remember 4 year old Jada," Lindsey Theis, April 11, 2012
]]>One of those who have long shadows cast over his future due to a dog attack lives far from us in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
]]> The seven-year-old Georgia boy was attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier about three weeks ago. The boy suffered bites to his face and groin, his mother told media outlets in Catoosa County, near the Tennessee border.Doctors say that as a result of the boy's devastating injuries, he now has only a 50-50 chance of ever being a father someday.
The dog that attacked the boy was euthanized a couple of days ago.
The dog's owner has been cited for an unprovoked attack and for failing to register the dog.
"Major medical bills will be involved in processing this case; current and possible future surgeries may be involved," the citation given to the owner reads.
The boy has already had surgery on his groin, according to media reports.
The dog was attached to a leash hooked onto a line at the time of the attack, a report by an animal control officer stated.
It wasn't the first time the animal had attacked children. Last autumn, two girls, 11 and 13 years old, reported an attack by the dog as they were walking in a high school parking lot across the street from where the dog lived.
The owner was at that time cited for two counts of unprovoked attack. He had to pay $165 for restitution and court costs.
If the boy's parents rely on the legal guidance of an experienced attorney, it's doubtful that the dog's owner will walk away so easily this time.
Source: Rome News-Tribune, "Dog killed after biting child's face, groin," Denise Etheridge, April 8, 2012
]]>An accident on I-39/90, involving a semitrailer jackknife and three other motor vehicles, thankfully resulted in only minor injuries. However many injuries, such as soft tissue injuries, can worsen as time passes. The exact nature of the injuries suffered to drivers or passengers in the car and truck accident were not made known.
]]> According to a news report, the accident began as a result of a car, driven by a 36-year-old Janesville woman that improperly merged while southbound on the interstate. The woman's merge into traffic started a chain of events.The 36-year-old's car and another car swerved into the median. The woman's car continued past the median and into the northbound lane, where her car clipped the back end of the semitrailer, causing her engine to break free. The engine in turn struck another northbound vehicle. The driver of the semitrailer, while trying to avoid further contact with other vehicles, ended up jackknifing his tractor-trailer and landing in the ditch.
The multi-vehicle crash blocked both the northbound and southbound lanes for about an hour and a half during the late morning hours. The 36-year-old driver and four others were treated at local hospitals and released.
The 36-year-old was given a traffic citation. She may also be held liable for the personal injury and damages her negligent driving caused to the other individuals. Even those with so-called minor injuries, can still accumulate a significant medical bill or lose time from work if soft tissue injuries are involved.
Source: Wisconsin State Journal, "Four suffer minor injuries in multi-vehicle crash on I-39/90; 1 driver cited," April 3, 2012
]]>A single car rollover accident in Vernon County was potentially caused by drinking and driving, or excessive speed, or both. The 25-year-old male driver and his 24-year-old female passenger were both injured in the car accident.
]]>According to a news report, the car was being driven on Wisconsin 56 at around 9 p.m. when the car left the road. Apparently, the car went into a ditch and rolled over after hitting an embankment. It landed right side up. The 24-year-old passenger, who was wearing her seatbelt, was injured but able to get herself out of the car. The 25-year-old driver, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was thrown from his car at some point and was seriously injured.
Both the driver and the passenger were taken to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The driver was reported to have severe injuries. The passenger's injuries were reported as not being life-threatening.
If it is proven that the driver was speeding, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he may be facing civil as well as criminal charges. When a driver's negligence causes an accident that results in injury to another driver, pedestrian, passenger or other person then the driver may be held liable for damages, including pain and suffering.
Although criminal charges or civil litigation has not yet been reported, the accident is under investigation.
Source: Capital Times, "Two injured in Vernon County rollover crash," Bill Novak, April 3, 2012
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