Fatal Blount County Collision Highlights the Importance of Always Wearing a Seat Belt

A 75-year-old man was tragically killed in a recent motor vehicle collision on East Lamar Alexander Parkway in Walland. According to a spokesperson for the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Marian O’Briant, the man was in the process of turning onto the parkway from Rocky Branch Road when his vehicle was struck by an eastbound auto that was being driven by a Maryville teenager. Although the teen attempted to avoid the traffic wreck, she was apparently unable to stop before colliding with the rear driver’s side of the man’s car. Sadly, the 75-year-old was pronounced deceased at University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Following the fatal traffic crash, the teen driver and two other children were transported to Blount Memorial Hospital for medical treatment. Thankfully, all of the minors involved in the deadly wreck were treated and released. According to authorities, each child was utilizing a seat belt at the time of the collision. O’Briant stated the exact cause of the automobile accident is currently under investigation by the Traffic Safety Unit of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office.

Unfortunately, this accident was apparently the second deadly collision on the East Lamar Alexander Parkway in less than one week and the eighth traffic wreck since May. Sadly, a 33-year-old man was killed in a one-vehicle crash on the parkway near Laurel Valley Road a few days prior. Authorities stated the man appeared to have lost control of his car while navigating a curve in the road and struck a tree. Although the airbags in his motor vehicle deployed, the 33-year-old was not wearing a safety belt. He unfortunately died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center after firefighters extricated him from the accident wreckage.

Wearing a seat belt is one of the most important things a driver or passenger can do to increase his or her own safety while traveling in a car, truck, or other automobile. Still, many people do not buckle up. According to the nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), car accidents are the leading cause of death for individuals in the United States under the age of 30. Additionally, CDC data states more than half of people who were killed in a motor vehicle collision in 2009 were not wearing a seat belt.

The victim of an automobile accident may be entitled to recover damages related to their pain, suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, temporary or permanent disability, and more. Certain relatives of someone who died in a traffic wreck may also be entitled to recover financial compensation for their loved one’s funeral expenses and other damages. If you were injured or a loved one was killed in an East Tennessee auto accident, you should call the Hartsoe Law Firm, P.C. at (865) 804-1011 or contact us through our website.

Additional Resources: Man dies in wreck, three others injured in two-car crash in Walland, by J.J. Kindred, The Daily Times Related Blog Posts: Knoxville Case Outlines Property Owner’s Duty in Premises Liability Case: Goumas v. Mayse, June 18, 2014, Knoxville Injury Lawyer Blog

Another Jury Verdict Upheld by Knoxville Court in Car Accident Lawsuit – Salyer v. Linnen, June 11, 2014, Knoxville Injury Lawyer Blog