A man driving an RV the wrong way on Suncoast Boulevard allegedly crashed head-on into a pickup truck. As a result, he seriously injured the driver. Florida Highway Patrol said that a 60-year-old was under the influence of alcohol and driving his vehicle northbound in the southbound lanes of Suncoast Blvd near West Kingston Drive Sunday morning, November 11, 2018.
Authorities arrested the driver of the RV and charged them with DUI and driving the wrong way. The accident is still under investigation, but no additional charges have been filed.
Why Would Someone Drive the Wrong Way?
The name for driving the opposite direction intended for a roadway is wrong-way driving or sometimes ghost driving. Wrong-way driving is especially dangerous. This is due to the potential high-speed and head-on impact that often occurs. This is because the momentum of both vehicles add to the impact of the collision and amplify the damage done to vehicles and people.
There are many reasons why wrong-way driving happens:
- Distracted driving or inattentive driver,
- Impairment,
- Poor signage or confusing roadway configurations,
- Foreign Drivers accustomed to left-hand lane travel.
Because of the heightened impact in many wrong-way collisions, injuries tend to be more severe, and the risk of death increases as well. In the United States, around 5,000 people die each year in head-on collisions, and a substantial amount of these are from wrong-way driving.
Do I need an Attorney if Injured in a Wrong Way Crash?
Maybe this would be a better question. What happens if I don’t get an attorney for my injuries? The answer is completely dependent on the insurance agent for the other driver. You might get lucky and get one that is actually looking out for you, but that is not the norm. It’s not personal, but the agent has a job to do, and that is saving their company as much money as possible.
You need an attorney skilled and experienced against insurance companies and one that understands the law surrounding wrong-way collisions. If you’ve been involved in a head-on collision, t-bone accident, rear-end crash or any other type of wreck in Homosassa or in any area surrounding Tampa contact our personal injury team at RHINO Lawyers.
