Three people were killed and one person was injured in a car crash in Pike County in September 2013 on U.S. 119 at Sharondale, Kentucky, near Belfry. Kentucky State Police (KSP) identified the three traffic fatality victims as Teshia Henry, Howard Ravin and Bambi Davis. The injured person was identified as Steven Douglas Viars II of West Virginia.
Henry and Ravin were pronounced dead at the scene while Davis was taken to South Williamson Appalachian Regional Hospital where she was declared dead. Viars II was also transported to the same hospital but is expected to recover from his non-life threatening injuries. Police say wet roads, rainy and foggy weather, speeding and worn tires may have led to the crash.
Statistics
- On average, there are over 6,301,000 vehicle crashes each year. Twenty-four percent of these crashes, or approximately 1,511,000, are weather-related.
- The vast majority of most weather-related crashes occur on wet pavement and during rainfall: 75% on wet pavement and 47% percent during rainfall.
- In speeding-related crashes, a higher proportion of crashes occurred on adverse road surface conditions during cooler months (December to March) as compared to other crashes.
The dangers of wet roads
Wet roads can affect road safety and may cause fatal crashes. When the road gets wet, driving becomes risky. This can cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle. If the weather is not good, it is better to stay at home and avoid traveling. However, if you really need to or there’s an emergency, here are some safety tips to consider when driving on wet roads:
- Avoid cruise control. Doing this will maximize your safety and reduce the chance of you losing control of your vehicle.
- Slow down and leave room. Drive slowly. This will lessen your car’s chance of hydroplaning.
- Responding to a skid. Do not panic in case your vehicle begins to skid. Instead, just keep calm and continue looking and steering in the direction you want to go.
Related: Is Rain More Dangerous Than Snow And Ice?
As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I completely agree with these tips. We have to be very careful when we drive on wet roads. We must slow down and maintain enough distance between our vehicles and other cars in front of us. This will give us more time to react and help keep us safe.