A wreck between a Toyota Scion automobile and a commercial box truck in LaFayette resulted in serious injuries to the driver of the car. The 26-year-old woman was driving on U.S. Highway 27 near the LaFayette Walmart when a Times Journal Inc. truck in front of her stopped for a red light.

The woman driving the car, Miranda Beth Sumner, did not stop in time, instead slamming into the back of the box truck at an estimated 45–50 miles per hour. Authorities have not yet released any information about why she was traveling at that speed and unable to stop. Following the wreck, she was airlifted by Life Force to Erlanger Hospital, reported to be in critical condition.

Rear-end collisions are a danger for distracted drivers

While there is no evidence that this particular wreck was caused by distracted driving, the results are similar to many accidents caused by that behavior. Drivers who take their eyes off the road to focus their attention on their cellphones, food or makeup are often unable to react in time when obstacles present themselves. This means that they may have to swerve quickly to avoid one wreck, and in doing so, may cause another.

In other cases, drivers may simply not look up at all and therefore not do anything to avert a wreck, often slamming into a stopped or slower vehicle in front of them. As demonstrated by this accident, rear-end collisions can cause catastrophic or fatal injuries. Occupants of either vehicle can be hurt by the sudden impact, with those in the moving vehicle experiencing sudden deceleration and those in the stopped or slowed vehicle experiencing dangerous acceleration.

If you have been involved in a rear-end collision on the roads of Georgia, the auto accident attorneys at McMenamy Law LLC can help you understand your legal options.