Misjudging a vehicle’s distance and speed, impatience and inattention are the three primary reasons for a driver turning onto a highway from a secondary road into the path of a vehicle already traveling at highway speeds. Any of these scenarios can lead to rear end collisions, T-bone collisions or rollover accidents, depending on the circumstances. It may be a while before troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol know if one of these reasons led to a recent crash that sent five people to area hospitals.

The 26-year-old man driving southbound on Highway 21 could not prepare for what was about to happen. As he approached an intersection, another car pulled out into the path of his car. He was unable to avoid colliding with the vehicle.

He and his two passengers, a 37-year-old woman and a 9-year-old girl, suffered injuries described as serious. The 24-year-old passenger and 29-year-old driver in the vehicle that pulled into the intersection suffered moderate injuries. All five people were taken to hospitals in the area via helicopters. No indication of their current conditions was provided.

Depending on how long it takes the victims to recover, they could incur a significant amount of medical bills both while in the hospital and after they are released. Lost income could cause further financial burdens for the adult victims. Personal injury claims filed in a Missouri court could help recover damages typically seen in T-bone collisions, rollover accidents and other vehicle crashes if it is established that their injuries were caused by the negligence of another party to the collision.

Source: ksdk.com, “Five injured in Washington Co. accident”, Brandie Piper, Jan. 13, 2015