There are of course many actions that lead to the occurrence of a car accident. One that often appears in news stories throughout the Pittsburgh area is when a vehicle crosses the centerline and enters the lane of traffic travelling in the opposite direction. The outcome of these head-on accidents can be serious injuries and even death.

A car accident of this kind, involving multiple vehicles, took place last weekend in West Mifflin. According to the authorities, the 67-year-old driver of a vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic as she travelled on Route 837. When she did so, she hit two vehicles that were headed in the opposite direction.

There were multiple people involved in the crash which took place around 11 p.m. In total, seven individuals were hurt. Some of them were children who were then transported to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC for treatment of injuries that were described as minor. Adults who also sustained minor injuries were taken to UPMC Mercy.

Sadly, the woman driving the vehicle that crossed into the lane died as a result of her injuries.

There are many reasons the woman's vehicle could have entered the lane with traffic travelling in the opposite direction. Because it was fairly late when the incident occurred, the woman may have fallen asleep behind the wheel. In the alternative, she may have experienced a medical emergency of some sort that caused her to lose control. In other situations like this, head-on crashes have been the result of driving under the influence.

It is not currently known what caused the woman's vehicle to leave her lane. Hopefully an investigation will determine what happened and allow the survivors to move forward with their lives.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "1 killed, 7 injured in West Mifflin crash," May 22 2012