Car accidents occur very regularly, of course, but in a sense, there really is no such thing as a typical accident. Every incident is unique in its own way and has facts and circumstances not present in other crashes. A fatal motor vehicle accident recently took the life of a Pittsburgh-area native. The accident was so strange that media reports called it a "freak accident."
The Ellwood City woman was driving to her job as a teacher around 7 a.m. when the accident occurred. As best as investigators have been able to determine thus far, it seems a leaf spring from a passing dump truck broke free and smashed through the windshield of her car.
The leaf spring – part of the vehicle's suspension – flew with such force that accident-investigation authorities called it a "flying missile."
The driver of the dump trick did not stop, even after the woman's car careened off the roadway and crashed. Authorities are hoping the person who was driving the truck will turn him or herself in and answer some questions about how the accident occurred.
The woman was killed two days before her 28th birthday. Several of her students praised her, calling her "the best teacher in the world" and saying that "no one will ever replace your kindness and caring heart." The woman's mother said messages like that are helping her cope with her daughter's sudden and unexpected death.
Attorneys who regularly deal with car accident cases know that no two are entirely the same. They also know that it is important to get as much information as possible about how the accident occurred. A good attorney will work quickly to preserve and obtain information about the accident to ensure that his or her client stands as good a chance as possible to recover from the accident.
Source: WTAE Pittsburgh, "Teacher Killed in Freak Highway Accident In North Carolina," Sept. 8, 2011.