wrong-way accidents

Published on: April 7, 2021

How Georgia can Reduce Risk of Wrong Way Driving Accidents

According to a new report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the number of wrong-way driving accidents in the U.S. increased by almost 35% in recent years. Most wrong way driving accidents are the result of drunk driving, but they can also be caused by mistakes by older drivers or drowsy drivers. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently issued a list of guidelines for state transportation agencies to prevent these kinds of accidents.

Wrong-way driving accidents are some of the most devastating accidents that occur on Atlanta roads. These accidents typically involve head-on collisions that occur at high speeds that result in fatalities. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a primary cause of wrong-way driving accidents. Drunk driving – specifically, driving while excessively intoxicated – is strongly linked to wrong-way driving. Excessive alcohol intoxication or a blood alcohol concentration level that is between 0.8 and .15%, or close to double the legally permitted blood alcohol concentration level in Georgia, is often linked to these devastating driving errors.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety advises that state transportation agencies increase their implementation of DUI checkpoints or sobriety checkpoints. The Foundation also advises states like Georgia to strengthen laws requiring the installation of ignition interlock devices on the vehicles of motorists who are convicted of drunk driving. An ignition interlock device determines the level of intoxication of the motorist, and activates to prevent the motorist from starting the car if those intoxication levels are above a pre-set limit. Many states, including Georgia, require the installation of ignition interlock devices in the cars of motorists who are convicted of repeat DUI offenses. Several safety advocates have called for the application of these laws to all drunk driving offenders, even first – time offenders. A stringent application of the law would significantly reduce the number of intoxicated motorists on our streets.

Published on: September 11, 2012

Series of Wrong Way Driving Accidents In and Around Atlanta

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The month of August saw a disturbing series of accidents caused by motorists driving the wrong way on highways and freeways in and around the metro Atlanta region.These accidents ended with catastrophic injuries and multiple fatalities.

The first accident that occurred earlier in the month involved a motorist who was driving the wrong way on Georgia 400, and crashed her car into another vehicle.The driver of the other car died in the accident.

Just a few days later, there was another wrong-way driving related accident, this one occurring in Gwinnett County.In this accident, the wrong-way driver crashed his vehicle head-on into another car on Georgia Highway 316 near Dacula.At least 2 people were critically injured in this accident, and victims had to be cut out of the damaged vehicle.

Published on: December 16, 2011

Wrongful Death of Police Officer in DeKalb County Wrong Way Driving Car Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A police officer was killed, and another person suffered personal injury in a car accident that police are now blaming on a wrong way driver.The crash occurred on westbound interstate-20 early in the morning.

According to DeKalb police, the driver of a westbound vehicle crashed into a sports utility vehicle that was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes.The driver of the westbound car sustained fatal injuries in the crash.The wrong way driver also suffered injuries in the auto accident.

Investigations into the car accident have begun, and investigators now believe that the driver of the sport-utility vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction.These investigations are likely to also include blood-alcohol tests to determine if the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol.

Published on: December 5, 2011

Police Suspect Drunk Driving in Metro Atlanta Wrong Way Car Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A driver alleged to have been driving in the wrong direction has been critically injured in an auto accident northeast of Atlanta. The car accident occurred on Interstate-85 when a motorist driving a Ford Explorer began driving south in the northbound lanes of interstate-85.At some point, the female motorist struck a tractor-trailer, and then hit another commercial truck and a van.The impact caused the motorist to be ejected from the Ford Explorer, and she sustained critical injuries.No other people were injured in this accident.Police believe that alcohol was a factor here, and that the woman was driving under the influence. As all personal injury attorneys know, if a car accident involves a serious personal injury, alcohol is very likely involved.

According to azcentral.com, in the year 2009, 1,772 people died in accidents involving the wrong way driver.In all these accidents, a driver drove on the wrong side of the road, or towards oncoming traffic.2009 had the highest number of wrong way driving deaths in five years.

The national focus on wrong way driving and its lethal impact spiked after a New York accident blamed on a wrong way driver killed eight people.In July 2009, a Long Island resident was driving her SUV in the opposite direction, when her vehicle crashed into an oncoming car.The woman and four children in her car died in the accident.The three occupants of the car also died.It was later found that the woman had been driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.She had a large number of drinks and had used marijuana before she began driving that day.

Published on: April 26, 2011

One Person Killed in Wrong Way Driving Accident in Gwinnett County

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As Atlanta car accident lawyers, we often notice that wrong way driving accidents are some of the deadliest collisions.These accidents typically involve one car traveling at highway speeds in the direction of other vehicles that are also traveling at the same level of speed.Such accidents are typically high-impact accidents that end with multiple deaths or serious injuries.An accident over the weekend in Gwinnett County, Georgiathat killed one person and left two others with critical injuries, is being blamed on a wrong way driver.

The accident occurred on Saturday night, and involved a total of three vehicles.According to Gwinnett County police, a car traveling the wrong way veered across the median and crashed head-on into another vehicle.The car then flipped over, and crashed into a third vehicle.A woman was killed in the accident.Two other people, including the wrong way driver, suffered critical injuries.Police are investigating the accident, but no charges have been filed yet.Police are considering the possibility that the wrong way driver may have been driving under the influence of alcohol.

Every year, approximately 300 people are killed in accidents caused by wrong way motorists.Many of these accidents are caused because motorists are driving under the influence of alcohol, and end up traveling in the opposite direction.Alcohol use is the most common cause of wrong way driving.It’s not so surprising to Atlanta car accident attorneys that alcohol use is so often cited in wrong way driving.Alcohol use clouds a person’s judgment, blurs his vision and affects his powers of reasoning.A person like this is also likely to miss highway street signs, ending with him driving in the opposite direction.

Published on: December 24, 2009

Woman in Atlanta Wrong-Way Accident Succumbs to Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It’s the fourth wrong way driving accident-related death in recent weeks in the Atlanta area. Last weekend, a mother and a son were seriously injured when their SUV collided head-on with another SUV that was traveling the wrong way in John’s Creek. The accident was caused when Raymond Myrand drove his SUV eastbound in a westbound lane. Alpharetta-resident Myrand died at the scene of the accident, while the woman and her 12-year-old son sustained critical injuries.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution now confirms the sad news that the mother has succumbed to her injuries. Her son continues to remain in the hospital, and is expected to recover from his injuries.John Creek police are continuing their investigation into why Myrand ended up driving the wrong way and on a collision path with the SUV.

As Atlanta personal injury lawyers, we have been blogging about a series of such wrong way driving accidents in Atlanta recently. In fact, the mother here is the fourth fatality in such accidents in recent weeks. The dead include a woman who was killed on the 21^st of November when her car was involved in a head on collision with a wrong way driver. The driver in that accident was intoxicated, and has been charged with DUI and vehicular homicide. Three people were injured in that accident, including the women’s two children. Last week, a 25-year-old woman was killed in a head-on collision with a man driving north in the southbound lanes of the Downtown Connector.

Published on: November 24, 2009

Woman Killed in Wrong Way Driving Accident in Atlanta

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Woman Killed in Wrong Way Driving Accident in Atlanta

A young mother has been tragically killed in a drunk driving accident involving a wrong way driver in Atlanta. The accident occurred on Saturday.

According to the Atlanta Police Department, Robert Ayiteyfio drove his Toyota Camry west on an eastbound lane of interstate 20 and crashed into a Ford Taurus. In the Taurus were a mother and her two children, aged 2 years and 10 months, and her boyfriend. The woman died of her injuries at the hospital while her friend sustained injuries. The children had to be taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Published on: May 26, 2009

Cobb County Teacher Dies in Wrong-Way Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Before Friday’s tragic car accident, South Cobb High School teacher James Chapman was looking forward to a life of wedded bless.

Chapman was due to be married on the 4^th of July in Rome, and had been on his way to New Orleans to celebrate his upcoming nuptials. He was driving with his friend Keith. Both had just finished the last day of school at South Cobb High School where Chapman taught Social Studies and coached a baseball team. Chapman’s car collided head-on with a car driven by 74-year-old Homer Phillips in the southbound lane of Interstate 59. Phillips seems to have been driving the wrong way in a pickup truck, when he crashed into Chapman’s pickup. Phillip’s vehicle then hit another car which rolled over. Both Phillips and Chapman were killed at the scene.

According to police, Phillips was not under the influence of alcohol. They don’t know yet why he was driving the wrong way.