On July 3, a driver was killed and his female passenger critically injured in Decatur when he swerved his car across a median into oncoming traffic, where it collided with four other vehicles in succession. Fox 5 reported that 23-year-old Jamon Freeman sideswiped a silver Hyundai Sonata before striking a red Cadillac CTS, a U.S. postal truck, and a silver Honda Odyssey. Three children were treated for minor injuries and released. The postal worker and other injured parties were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Leaving your lane can be deadly

According to statistics from the Georgia Department of Transportation, this type of accident, where a driver fails to maintain a lane, accounts for 65 percent of all roadway fatalities. Failing to maintain a lane causes a variety of deadly consequences, such as contact with vehicles traveling in the same direction and head-on collisions with oncoming traffic. Deadly head-on collisions are generally more likely on narrow country highways with no barriers between opposing lanes. Cars that veer out of their lanes also risk contact with fixed objects, such as trees, bridge posts, and street lamps. Forty-seven percent of automotive fatalities in Georgia are single-vehicle crashes against fixed objects.

Drivers generally veer out of their lane due to inattentiveness, caused by:

• Alcohol or drug consumption
• Drowsiness
• Texting or talking on a cellphone
• Reaching for an object
• Adjusting the stereo
• Interacting with passengers

Accidents due to alcohol or drowsiness are most likely to occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. This crash occurred at around 2:45 p.m. Police on the scene did not speculate about a reason why Mr. Freeman might have swerved across the median.

McMenamy Law LLC urges you to be attentive when you drive to avoid accidents whenever possible. If you’ve suffered a serious injury in a car crash, contact us to schedule a free consultation with a dedicated attorney.