Drivers everywhere, including in Oklahoma, who operate sports utility vehicles must drive with caution every time they are behind the wheel. With a larger and heavier vehicle, this means not only watching out for other cars but also people, whether in crosswalks or along the side of roads and highways. For one SUV driver in Tulsa, however, this reminder has come too late.
An 18-year-old woman died recently in an SUV accident in Tulsa. The fatal accident occurred on U.S. Highway 169 between 51st and 61st Streets. Tulsa police say the midsize SUV hit a pickup truck parked on the shoulder of the highway. Three people, including a man and a woman, had been loading a motorcycle onto the back of the truck when the truck was hit. The man and another person suffered minor injuries, but the woman was fatally injured. Police noted that the shoulder where the truck was parked is narrow and the SUV was driving too closely to the shoulder. Authorities are continuing to investigate the fatal accident. The driver, whose identity and sex are not yet public, was allegedly driving with a suspended license. There has been no word on whether charges are forthcoming.
SUV accidents are no different from other vehicle accidents that occur when a driver is inattentive, distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol while driving. These factors contribute to more accidents than any other driver factor. Investigators usually look at these factors first when determining who is at fault or liable for an accident.
For the victim’s family, establishing liability may be a challenging task given the emotional trauma and financial challenges following the accident. A legal professional who is knowledgeable about wrongful death cases may be able to help the victim’s family, particularly if traffic investigators find that the driver’s negligence played a role in the crash.
Source: Tulsa’s Channel”18-Year-Old Girl Dead in Highway 169 Auto-Pedestrian Accident,” May 16, 2014
