One Dead, Two Injured in Two-Vehicle Car Crash

One person was killed, and two others injured in a two-vehicle accident south of Independence. A Jefferson couple was traveling south on Corvallis Road late at night when they decided to turn around to head north. However, as they were making the u-turn, the front of their vehicle fell into a ditch on the east side of the road according to police. The back of their car was blocking a northbound lane. A driver of a pickup truck stopped to help pull the vehicle from the ditch. The couple exited the vehicle and stood on by the driver’s side of their car. A vehicle heading north on Corvallis Road hit the passenger’s side of the couple’s car. The couple was hit by the driver’s side of their vehicle. The woman died at the scene of the car crash according to police. The husband was taken by ground ambulance to a nearby hospital with serious injuries where he was later transferred to a Portland-area hospital. The driver who hit the couple suffered a minor injury and is cooperating with investigators. Police issued no citations at the crash scene. The driver of the pickup who stopped to help drove off after the crash.

How to Stay Safe While at a Car Crash Scene

After an accident, it can be very dangerous to get out of the vehicle. If your vehicle will drive, move out of the flow of traffic. If you are on the freeway, get off the freeway entirely if possible. Otherwise, move to the right-hand shoulder of the road or to the median.

Experts from AAA and State Highway Patrols recommend that you remain inside your vehicle to stay safe. People who exit their vehicle after a crash can easily be killed or injured far more often than those who stay in their vehicle. Staying inside your vehicle offers far more protection than standing outside the vehicle from oncoming vehicles.

Stay Buckled In

After an accident, keep your seatbelt on to stay safe. The conditions that caused your accident may cause other accidents near you. In addition, your vehicle or other vehicles involved in the accident could be a hazard for other drivers. It is not uncommon for one accident to cause another.

Stay Calm

Take a deep breath and stay calm. You may be feeling a wide variety of emotions after being involved in a car crash such as shock, guilt, fear, anger, or nervousness. Take a few minutes to take some deep breaths or count to 10 to calm down. The more composed you are, the better prepared you will be to handle the car crash situation correctly.

Call 911 and Stay on the Phone Until Help Arrives

If the crash is more than a minor fender bender, call 911 and stay on the phone until help arrives. Do not hang up unless instructed to do so. Follow any instructions the 911 operator gives you.

If You Must Get Out of the Car

Of course, there are situations where it is more dangerous to stay inside your vehicle such as when you cannot get out of the flow of traffic. If you smell gas, get out right away. There could be a fuel leak that could lead to a fire or explosion. If you must get out of the car, be very careful. Watch for oncoming traffic before getting out. You will also want to get away from the road. Never stand behind or in front of your vehicle. Get as far away from the roadway as possible especially when it is dark, or the roadway is slick.

Hire an Experienced Car Crash Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a car crash, call the attorneys at Parke Gordon Law Firm to handle your case. The car accident attorneys at Parke Gordon Law Firm have years of experience representing car accident clients and obtaining impressive results in their behalf. Don’t wait to call a car accident attorney from Parke Gordon Law Firm! Call us now for a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer.  We can take the stress out of a claim and we’ll fight to get you full value for your car accident injuries. Our law firm believes every client deserves fair representation against big insurance companies with deep pockets.