Personal Injury Law

6 injured in Missouri accident when car is forced into oncoming traffic

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Six Missourians were hospitalized Saturday evening after a truck rear-ended another car and forced it into oncoming traffic on Route JJ near Carl Junction.

According to the report filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, just before the Missouri accident Tammy Farmer, 35, had stopped her 2009 Toyota Scion as she prepared to make a left turn. James Ellis, 16, who was following in a 1994 Ford F150 pickup, failed to stop in time and crashed into Farmer?s vehicle. The impact of the crash sent Farmer?s vehicle into the oncoming traffic lane where it was hit head-on by a 2005 Honda Element, driven by Jeremy Hubbard, 20.

Farmer and Ellis were treated at St. John?s Hospital along with two passengers in Farmer?s car, Katie Hardcastle, 17, and Zack Hardcastle, 17. They are suffered moderate injuries according to the Missouri crash report. Hubbard received the most serious injuries and was flown to Freeman West Hospital. Michael Pope, 20, a passenger in Hubbard?s car was taken to St. John?s with moderate injuries.

Neither Hubbard nor Pope were wearing seatbelts, according to the investigating officer.

Missouri law often finds that negligence is assumed on the part of at-fault drivers in rear end collision cases. This is because all drivers should be in control of where their vehicle is traveling at all times. This is a more complicated case, though, as it involves three cars in two separate collisions. The crash report also does not say why Ellis was unable to stop before hitting the vehicle in front of him. More investigation by a personal injury lawyer and local authorities will be needed before all the specifics of this Missouri crash will be known.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on November 22, 2008 (boomark / email).