Beaumont — Toddler Dies in a Rear End Crash in Jefferson County
Posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2019 at 12:55 am
Around 6:45 a.m. on Monday, January 14, 2019, a 2-year-old boy died in a rear end collision that happened in Jefferson County.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Stephanie Davis, the collision occurred on TX 124, near Smith Road, after a 2005 Toyota sedan hit a dump truck that was stopped and waiting to make a left turn off the road onto a driveway.
Terea McEachern, the 60-year-old driver, was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital with serious injuries. Her 2-year-old grandson was also taken to the same hospital with critical injuries. However, not long after, the toddler was pronounced dead by the emergency room personnel. According to Davis, the child was not properly secured in the car seat.
Meanwhile, the driver of the dump truck was unscathed in the accident.
Rear end collisions are fairly common in the United States. In fact, it is reported that there are about 1.7 million rear end collisions on U.S. roadways every year, and from that figure, about 1,700 people die in those collisions while another 500,000 are hurt. It is also reported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that 87% of rear end collisions happened just because the driver wasn’t paying attention to the road.
Driving while distracted is actually one of the three common causes of car accidents — the other being DUI (driving under influence of alcohol or drugs) and speeding — and all drivers should avoid doing it. No one deserves to lose their life just because a driver couldn’t keep his eyes on the road.
If you are a victim or rear end collisions, or you know someone who is, please don’t hesitate to ask for help. Help is always available for you, whether it’s in the form of the police or lawyers specializing in car accidents or personal injury.