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Earlier this month, a car crashed into the storefront of the Garden of the Budz, a medical marijuana dispensary on West Colorado Avenue, injuring two people.
According to witnesses, around noon on August 11th, a red Prius was swerving in and out of traffic while speeding down West Colorado Avenue. The Prius apparently sideswiped another vehicle, crashed into a power box, then slammed into the dispensary.
The driver of the car sideswiped by the Prius, suffered whiplash and a concussion. The woman working inside the dispensary, thankfully got away unharmed, with the exception of a minor cut on her arm. She says it was a close call, because she had been in the part of the store where the car crash occurred, only minutes before.
There were two people inside the Prius, both of whom were unconscious for a few minutes after the crash, but they soon regained consciousness and were taken to the hospital, one with apparently serious injuries.
The crash knocked out power for the traffic lights in the area, and West Colorado Ave. was shut down for a number of hours while police investigated and emergency crews cleared the scene.
Witnesses describe the car as speeding and driving erratically for three blocks before the crash, and driving behavior like that can sometimes indicate that the driver went through some type of medical event or emergency. Police are continuing to investigate this incident.
Speed as a Contributing Factor in Motor Vehicle Accidents
Speeding is a big problem in the United States, costing the country thousands of lives and millions of dollars every year. And it’s a problem that affects and has consequences for everyone, not just the person doing the speeding.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, speeding was a factor in more than a quarter of all the total traffic fatalities across the nation in 2017, at 26%. Colorado State was higher than the national average that year at 33%.
The NHTSA estimates that speeding played a major role in roughly a third of all the fatal motor vehicle accidents over the last two decades, and in 2018 alone 9,378 lives were lost in speed related accidents.
In all of the accidents from 2018, the age group who had the highest percentage of drivers speeding at the time of their involvement in a fatal accident were young men ages 15 to 20, at 30%. As driver age increased, that percentage consistently went down, reflecting the fact that as we age we tend to drive more safely.
The fact that it’s mostly young and inexperienced drivers who are speeding most frequently, is particularly concerning precisely because of that inexperience. Young drivers often don’t know how to respond to unexpected situations as well as more experienced drivers. And that, coupled with the fact that a higher rate of speed reduces the time a driver has to act to try and avoid a crash, increases the likelihood that the results of that crash could be catastrophic.
So how can you best protect yourself when you find you’re sharing the road with a driver traveling at a possibly dangerous rate of speed? The NHTSA suggests the following tips:
- Give speeding drivers as much space as you can. If something goes wrong for that driver, they might not have enough time to avoid a crash. Best to put as much space between you and them as possible.
- Let a speeding driver pass. Speeding is an aggressive driving behavior, and it’s safer to not engage with an aggressive driver. Don’t let your pride get the best of you, let them pass and put distance between you and them.
- Be ready to adjust the way your driving to try and avoid a risky situation. Depending on the circumstances, you will need to use your best judgment to get yourself to safety.
- Contact the police as soon as it is safe, if you believe that you are being harassed or targeted.
Further Reading: Colorado Springs Police Officers Injured in High Speed Chase
Contact Our Colorado Springs Car Accident Lawyers Today
Have you been injured by the negligent actions of another driver? Are you concerned you won’t have the money to pay medical bills and lost expenses? If so, you need an experienced Colorado Springs car accident lawyer on your side to help you fight for justice.
Contact the experienced attorneys at the Green Law Firm, P.C. today by calling (719) 694-8515, or by filling out the contact form on this website, to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation and discuss your case.