Deadly Kentucky SUV Accident Claims 3 Children's Lives

August 25, 2015

A tragic, heartbreaking auto accident in Daviess County last Saturday night left 3 children dead and 1 child seriously injured. WAVE 3 News reports that a 32-year-old woman was traveling in a Chevy Tahoe with 7 passengers on KY 56, when she swerved to avoid another vehicle that was partially in her lane. As a result of overcorrecting to avoid the oncoming vehicle, the Tahoe left the highway and crashed into a bean field. Four children were reported by troopers to be unrestrained and were thrown from the vehicle.

Tragically, 2 of the ejected children (ages 10 and 13) were pronounced dead on the scene, while a 3rd child (age 12) passed away later at the hospital. The 4th ejected child (age 7) is reported to be in critical condition at Kosair Hospital in Louisville. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that 3 other children in the SUV as well as the driver were all wearing seatbelts and survived the accident.

Tragedies take place every day as a result of the split-second decisions and reactions we make behind the wheel. Please keep these things in mind to keep yourself, your passengers and other people on the roadway safe:

• Always, always wear a seatbelt when you are in a vehicle. If you are the driver, demand your passengers buckle up before you turn on the car and start moving.
• Never drive distracted. It takes only a moment of looking at your smartphone or looking away from the road to unintentionally drift out of your lane.
• Avoid a panicked steering maneuver that could result in overcorrection. Please see a video illustration of overcorrection by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration here.
• Pay particular attention and remain alert especially on rural roadways, where the NHTSA says 75 percent of all rollover crashes occur.

None of the items above are legal advice, nor do they guarantee you will avoid an accident every time you use them, but a little bit of caution and care can go a long way in keeping you and your passengers safer on the road.