Several individuals started the weekend on a down note after being involved in a motor vehicle accident in a Pennsylvania community located to the east of New Castle. As a result of the crash, one person had to be transported via helicopter to a hospital in Pittsburgh.

According to one of the individuals involved in the incident, the accident started when a Ford Focus narrowly avoided hitting a Fed Ex truck. Rather than hitting the truck, the Ford instead struck a Dodge Caravan that was stationary and seeking to move into a left-turn lane, from behind.

While many are likely aware of how common rear-end collisions are, the severe injuries this type of accident can result in may not be as obvious. In many instance the occupants of the vehicles that are hit suffer serious injuries to their back, neck, shoulders and head. In addition to broken bones, damages can be inflicted to joints, muscles and in particularly bad instances, internal organs. Many of these injuries are not immediately apparent.

Interestingly, in this particular accident it was the person in the vehicle that struck the minivan who was seriously injured. The force of the impact apparently caused the 26-year-old driver to suffer an injury to his head. As a result, he was knocked unconscious. The occupants of the Dodge were not seriously hurt.

Perhaps not surprisingly, speed appears to have played a role in this accident. Police have indicated that the injured man who was driving the Ford was driving too fast. Accordingly, police have indicated that the man will receive a citation for speeding.

Source: Kittanning Paper, "Friday Afternoon Ford City Accident Victim Flown to Hospital," Jonathan Weaver, Sept. 17, 2012

• Our firm handles similar situations to the one discussed in this post. For more information on these types of claims, please visit our Lawrence County motor vehicle accidents page.