A tragic accident on a Fresno County road claimed two lives on Friday evening. The California Highway Patrol responded to the scene near the intersection of Belmont and Zediker Avenues east of Fresno on January 28, 2022.
KSEE-TV reports the crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. northwest of Centerville. The Highway Patrol says that the accident involved a white car and a silver car. Just before the accident, the white car’s driver crossed into the opposite lane to pass traffic. The maneuver led to a head-on collision.
One person in each vehicle was killed. The identities of the victims have not been released. However, investigators have identified the driver of the white car as a 41-year-old man from Kingsburg and the driver of the silver car as a 42-year-old man from Fresno.
The California Highway Patrol believes alcohol may have been involved in the accident but they continue to work to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Collision Dangers on Rural Fresno County Roads
As the light fades in the evening, travel on Fresno County roads can become treacherous. Drivers relying on headlights can become confused and misjudge distances when trying to pass other vehicles or switch lanes.
The danger only grows when drivers aren’t paying full attention to the roadway or may even be traveling while impaired. A sudden move into oncoming traffic must be handled by a fully focused driver. When a driver’s judgment is not what it should be, devastating accidents can occur.
Head-on collisions are the most dangerous of all types of impact angles. These crashes combine the speeds of both vehicles to add extra force to an already powerful accident.
The Insurance Information Institute (III) found that in 2019 there were 3,613 accidents across the nation involving head-on collisions. The fatalities that resulted from those impacts made up a tragic 11% of all deaths recorded in U.S. traffic accidents for the year.
In simple terms, these figures indicate that head-on collisions are thankfully relatively rare, and yet they account for a disproportionate amount of traffic accident victims each year.
There’s every reason to continue to put pressure on reckless drivers in California to bring these tragic numbers down. Extra caution showed by drivers, and sustained efforts by California Law Enforcement to encourage safer driving can save countless lives.
A word for families after a tragic California head-on accident…
Families who have lost a loved one in a traffic accident may not be aware that they are allowed to seek financial assistance through a wrongful death claim. This support from an at-fault driver’s insurance provider could help with funeral and burial costs and replace the income the deceased can no longer provide to loved ones in the years to come. You can read more about these claims on my page about Fresno County Car Accidents.
