All too often news stations show vivid scenes of fatal car accidents, and those accidents often strike an even deeper nerve for Oregon residents when the person who died was just a child.
Last month, a news report covered an accident that caused serious injuries and the death of a 17-year-old girl. The accident took place on a Sunday in October on a stretch of highway in central Oregon.
Police say the girl was driving a 1990 Geo Prism eastbound on the highway when her vehicle began to drift off the side of the road. She overcorrected, which caused the car to cross into westbound traffic. The car subsequently collided with a 2006 Chrysler van driven by a 38-year-old man, police said.
Emergency responders rushed to the car accident, but the 17-year-old girl died at the scene. A passenger of the Geo Prism, also 17 years old, received serious injuries. She was taken to Mountain View Hospital. The 38-year-old driver of the van and her two children also received injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital. The family is from Portland.
As police continue investigating the cause of the accident, the three members of the family involved, as well as the 17-year-old passenger, are left with injuries and medical expenses as a result of the accident.
Although initial injuries in some cases may seem minor, some accidents can have lasting effects on a person’s health. Those injured in an accident have the right to seek compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, future lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
Source: Oregon Live, “Fatal crash on Highway 26 kills 17-year-0ld girl, injures 4 others,” Oct. 30, 2011
