Passenger Fatality in Kings County Accident

A car passenger was tragically killed in a vehicle collision northeast of Hanford. It happened Saturday morning in Kings County around 11:30 a.m. on July 10, 2021.

KFSN-TV reports the accident occurred near the intersection of 6th Avenue and Excelsior Avenue. The California Highway Patrol says the female victim was a passenger in a car traveling on 6th avenue when another vehicle collided with it.

The victim, a 29-year-old woman from Kingsburg, died at the scene. It is not known if other injuries resulted from the collision.

CHP investigators say they don’t believe drugs or alcohol played a part in the collision. They continue to determine what led to the crash.

Passenger Dangers in Car Accidents in Kings County

Vehicle collisions in rural parts of Kings County can threaten the lives of drivers and passengers in an instant. Careless or reckless motorists can suddenly present an obstacle to other drivers, leaving them little space or time to steer clear of a dangerous impact.

Passengers in any vehicle struck will also be helpless victims in such a collision. The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) monitors the unique dangers passengers face in vehicle accidents every year. Across the U.S., a tragic 22,416 people lost their lives in passenger vehicle accidents in 2019. A fourth of those victims were passengers.

The institute broke down those heartbreaking numbers into the corresponding seating position of the occupants. 3,586 of the accident victims were passengers in the front seat. Passengers in the backseats accounted for 1,732 of the fatalities for the year.

Drivers were most often the victims in fatal car accidents, but those numbers can be misleading. They are elevated because so many people travel alone and without passengers.

Passengers are subjected to much more dangerous factors in a collision, especially in the backseat, because drivers generally have the benefit of better safety equipment. Passengers don’t always have the protection of airbags. They also aren’t usually safeguarded by the same level of seat belt technology as those sitting in front seats. In rear-end accidents, backseat passengers are closer to the collision and can suffer devastating injuries from the force of impact.

These well-documented dangers should be enough to remind all drivers to avoid hazardous distractions while behind the wheel. Fiddling with a radio or reading a text while at the wheel can put every occupant in another car in danger of a devastating accident.

Finding Support for Car Accident Victims and their Families in Kings County

Families who have lost a loved one deserve to be fully informed of their rights and the benefits available to them. Insurance providers for at-fault drivers aren’t required to inform victims of these benefits. For more information on what to do after a Kings County car accident, you can visit our informational page here.

 

 

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