While Pittsburgh area motor vehicle accident s can of course occur at any time of the day, nighttime is one of the more common. This is at least in part due to the way that darkness hampers the eyesight of most drivers. Because drivers are unable to see things in the path of their cars until they are directly upon the object, there is much less time to take evasive action, sometimes resulting in a crash.

Earlier this week a multi-vehicle crash occurred in Clarion County, north of Pittsburgh. The incident happened on Route 322 shortly before midnight. While it is not known how the accident unfolded or even how many vehicles were actually involved, it resulted in one individual being transported to a hospital in a helicopter and left behind a big mess.

The aftermath left the road closed for approximately 12 hours while fallen utility poles were cleared and an investigation was likely conducted. In situations such as this one it is not uncommon for an accident reconstructionist to be called in to determine how the crash unfolded. This could be especially helpful when an accident happens at a time of day or in a place where there are not a lot of witnesses.

There are of course many reasons that this crash could have occurred. If the investigation determines that one of the drivers is to blame, both criminal and civil cases could be forthcoming. It remains to be seen what will happen. We will provide an update on this as information becomes available.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Route 322 closed in Clarion County after crash," Moriah Balingit, Nov. 6, 2012

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