Statistically, researchers show rollovers are not the most common type of motor vehicle accident; however, they are among the most deadly. Studies show that in the United States, more people are killed in a rollover than in any other type of motor vehicle accident.
Recent Rollover Accidents: All Kinds of Vehicles and Victims
Follow the local news for our part of the country, and serious and fatal rollover accidents are happening way too often.
Consider the following rollover accidents that have been reported just within the past six weeks. These serious and deadly rollover crashes involve drivers of all ages, in accidents that happen at various times of day or night, and involve all kinds of motor vehicles.
1. July 2017: Indiana Single Vehicle Rollover in Fiery Crash
In Clark County, Indiana, a single car was driving along I-265 on the evening of July 14, 2017. As the driver went over the Lewis and Clark Bridge and came near to State Road 62, something happened that caused the driver to lose control.
The vehicle slammed into the guard rail. The car rolled over, and in the crash caught fire. No other vehicles were involved in this rollover accident. The driver perished in the crash.
2. July 2017: Illinois Single Vehicle Rollover Accident
Early on the morning of July 18, 2017 (around 3:15 a.m.), the driver of a Lexus sedan lost control of the vehicle and crashed. The accident happened on Heggs Road over in Plainfield, Illinois. The Lexus hit a fire hydrant and rolled over, landing in a field.
Both the driver and the passenger were seriously injured in the rollover accident, and had to be rescued out of the crashed Lexus so they could be taken to the local hospital for emergency treatment.
3. July 2017: Indiana Semi-Truck Rollover Accident
Around eight o’clock in the evening on July 6, 2017, a big rig Freightliner was rolling along the Indiana Toll Road.
The truck driver lost control of his rig on the Indiana Toll Road between Mishawaka and Elkhart and the heavy-laden semi, which was hauling sheets made of steel, veered off into the roadside ditch.
The semi-truck rolled over. The force of the crash dumped the steel sheet cargo into the ditch. The truck driver tragically died in the accident.
4. July 2017: Illinois Semi-Truck Rollover Accident
In Franklin County, Illinois, a big rig was being driven along Interstate 57 on a Sunday morning (around eight o’clock) when the truck driver lost control of the tractor-trailer truck carrying a load of food products.
Police have reported that the rollover crash happened because of “improper lane usage.” Apparently, the truck driver was moving in and out of his traffic road lane and then hit a guard rail on I-57.
After the heavy truck collided with 75 yards of that guard rail, it tipped and rolled over. The driver had to be rescued from the vehicle, and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He survived this rollover crash.
5. July 2017: Illinois SUV Rollover Accident
Last week in Carbondale, Illinois, three women were traveling in an SUV along Marion Street when the driver lost control of the car and crashed. The accident happened early on Sunday night (around 7:45 p.m.) on North Marion near Dillinger Road.
One of the women passed away as a result of injuries sustained in this SUV rollover crash. The cause of the accident is not known.
6. July 2017: Indiana ATV Rollover Accident
Early this past Sunday morning, a young man was enjoying the weekend with his friends, riding an ATV in a muddy field over in Wanatah, Indiana. The 19-year-old man was riding on the right side of the ATV’s bench with two buddies when the driver took a turn there in the mud and the ATV lost its balance.
The ATV rolled over there in the field, tossing the victim off the vehicle with the ATV rolling on top of the young man. He died from injuries sustained in this rollover crash.
7. June 2017: Illinois Pickup Truck Rollover Accident
Last month, not too long past midnight on June 13, 2017, a 51-year-old man was driving his Ford pickup truck along Route 53 in Wilmington, Illinois. It is unclear what caused the victim to lose control of this truck; however, witnesses reported that they saw the pickup drive by their vehicle and a little later, spotted it crashed in a farm’s field.
No one else was in the pickup truck beside the driver. The pickup truck rolled over after leaving the roadway, throwing the driver out of the truck’s cab. He died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.
The Very Real Danger of Deadly Rollover Accidents in Illinois or Indiana
These examples are not an exhaustive list of every rollover accident that has happened in our area within the past six weeks; there are others that have not been included here. However, these seven rollover crashes do provide a good overview of the very real danger that faces all of us as we drive the local roads and highways.
Rollover crashes are a serious risk to drivers in Indiana and Illinois, no matter their age and no matter the kind of motor vehicle they are driving. We’ve discussed the dangers of rollover crashes in Illinois and Indiana before. It’s a continuing threat to all of us – and our loved ones.
Rollover accidents must be respected as a danger facing those of us who live and work here in Indiana and Illinois. In our next post, we’ll delve more into the risks of rollovers while driving and the causes of fatal rollover crashes.
While there are personal injury laws on the books to help bring justice to rollover accident victims and their families (including defective product and product liability claims), it’s better to know the risks and avoiding the rollover crash before it happens. Let’s be careful out there!
