The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reports that there were 1,137 traffic fatalities in 2017 alone. That same year, there were 351 reportable traffic crashes every day. This means that about 15 crashes occurred every hour. Additionally, 221 people per day were injured in crashes. This means that someone was injured in a reported traffic crash about every hour. These numbers are scary. Traffic crash injuries are even more common than one might think. In 2017, 1 of every 44 Pennsylvania residents was involved in a traffic crash. This is a stark reminder to do everything you can to stay safe out there on the roads.
A Deadly SUV Crash
On August 19th at about 6:35 pm, Cervantes Santos died after crashing his motorcycle into an SUV in Philadelphia. Surveillance video shows Cervantes’s Agusta Rivale motorcycle heading north on Aramingo before crashing into a Honda SUV as it was turning left from southbound Aramingo onto Venango. Witness Brenda Vazquez, an employee at a store near the crash site, reported that the biker was traveling at a high speed, despite the fact that the area is normally very busy as it is home to many stores and businesses.
Vazquez said that one of her coworkers called 911. Vazquez reported that she saw Santos hit the rear passenger side door of the Honda SUV. The impact sent Vazquez flying. Santos, 32 years of age, was taken to Temple University Hospital, and doctors pronounced him dead at 8:20 pm.
In the Honda SUV that Santos hit, there was a woman and four girls. Vazquez and some of her co-workers went to help the woman and her girls, ages 1-month-old, 5, 9, and 11 years old. She reported the heartbreaking scene when the woman, the mother of the girls, came over to give Vazquez the car seat that had her one-month-old little girl in it. The baby was covered in glass and sustained many little cuts all over. The 34-year-old mom and her girls were taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. Doctors listed all of them as being in stable condition.
A tragic and fatal crash that will be a scene not soon forgotten by all involved and those who witnessed the accident and its aftermath. Motorcyclists, remember that you are responsible for following the same rules of the road as cars. This means complying with speed limits and respecting the space of other vehicles.
Cars, you can never be too careful out there on the roads. Take every possible safety measure. Drive defensively. Make sure that all children who require a car seat or booster seat have one and that they are properly buckled in. Also, make sure to check that all car seats are properly installed in the vehicle. Places like fire stations often have someone on hand who is certified to inspect the safety of car seat installation.
Personal Injury Attorneys
Tragedy on the roads is far too common. Negligent driving practices lead to devastating injuries. If you have been injured due to the negligence of someone else out there on the road, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy are here for you. Contact us today.
