Thanksgiving Rollover Leaves One Dead, Three Children Injured

One woman is dead and three children suffered “incapacitating injuries” as a result of a single-vehicle rollover on Thanksgiving. The accident occurred on Interstate 10 in Hudspeth County, according to state troopers.

The deadly rollover accident occurred roughly six miles west of Sierra Blanca just before 11 o’clock in the morning. According to authorities, the accident happened when the vehicle left the highway and crossed into the median where it overturned. An investigation into why the vehicle left the road is still under way.

At the time of the car accident, the woman was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle, according to state troopers on the scene. She died as a result of the crash.

The three children who were traveling in the vehicle were ages 3, 5, and 11. They were transported to El Paso’s University Medical Center with “incapacitating injuries,” according to authorities. Authorities also report that the children were not wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident.

Unfortunately, car and truck accidents across the country peak on holidays due to increased travel, holiday stress, and holiday alcohol use. The issue is so pronounced that the Texas Department of Transportation maintains data on the crashes that happen during holiday travel.

Of the major holidays that impact the rate of car accidents in the state, Memorial Day weekend saw the highest number of car accident fatalities in 2019 at 44 deaths. Despite being counted as one day longer, the Thanksgiving holiday resulted in fewer fatalities in comparison at 37 deaths.

While Christmas saw the lowest fatalities, it also only included two weekdays in 2019. This matters because car accidents in Texas are more common on weekends.

A better illustration of the increased likelihood of car accidents during the winter holiday season specifically might be the number of car accidents that occur during the winter months. Indeed, December is the most dangerous month on Texas roads, accounting for roughly 10%, or 308 crashes, in 2019.

Another factor to keep in mind when it comes to vehicle safety this holiday season is the use of seat belts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Transportation Safety division, the use of seat belts is one of the best ways to prevent car accident deaths and reduce injuries.

To put this into perspective, up to 60% of those killed in car accidents in 2018 weren’t wearing seat belts. In 2017, however, the United States Department of Transportation estimated that nearly 15,000 lives were saved by safety belts in passenger vehicles alone. Furthemore, they estimate that an additional 2,500 lives could have been saved if everyone had been wearing seat belts.

Despite this evidence that seat belt use can prevent car accident fatalities, roughly one in ten Americans didn’t use safety belts in 2019.

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Source: KVIA

Thanksgiving Rollover Leaves One Dead, Three Children Injured

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