Teddy Bear Causes Napa Highway Crash
I’m Ed Smith, a Napa car accident lawyer. A local man crashed his car after trying to avoid an object in the roadway in Napa on Monday, March 6, 2017. The object turned out to be an abandoned stuffed animal.
Accident Details
The incident occurred at around 9:00 a.m. on the southbound side of Highway 29, only a short distance south of the exit to Highway 12 in the area of Fagan Creek. The driver of the car, a male resident of Napa, had been driving on the highway when he swerved to avoid what he thought was a live animal in the middle of the road. As a result of swerving, the brakes of the car locked up and caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, driving it off of the roadway. After exiting the highway, the vehicle became submerged up to the top of its wheels in the water of a pond that had formed because of heavy storms that have affected the area in recent months.
Pictures of the accident show the driver inspecting his vehicle, apparently a dark-blue sedan of recent make, while almost knee deep in a marshy area on the side of the highway.
Injuries and Cleanup
The Napa Police Department reported that there were no injuries as a result of this accident and that only one vehicle was involved. Reports indicate that towing services were called to remove the crashed sedan from the puddle. What sorts of damages the car received are unknown.
Common Accident Causes
While the cause of this accident is somewhat unusual, accidents are common and often involve serious consequences. Some common causes of accidents include driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, driving over the speed limit, and driving while not paying adequate attention to the road.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is extremely common and kills thousands of people in the United States every year and encompasses actions such as talking on the phone, texting, applying makeup, eating food, and anything that removes the driver’s attention from the road. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control show that in 2013, about 18 percent of all crashes that resulted in serious injuries were partly or totally caused by a driver who was distracted. Furthermore, instances of distracted driving are increasing in frequency. Data from CDC indicates that in the two-year period between 2011 and 2013, the rate of accidents that were caused by a distracted driver rose by nearly 10 percent.
Napa Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Napa car accident lawyer. If you, or a loved one has suffered serious injuries from a car accident, please contact me at (707) 564-1900 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
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Photo Attribution: By Highway Patrol Images via Wikimedia Commons
:ms/ds