A man is being held without bond related to a head-on pickup truck crash that killed a Woodbridge, Virginia man in late September.
The Prince William County Police report that Robert L. Easton III, 35, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Terry L. Cunningham, 23.
The police stated that on Sept. 29 at 2:15 PM, police investigated reports of a two-vehicle crash. Cunningham was driving east on Brentsville Road in his 2005 Ford Ranger when Easton in his 1997 Ford F350, crossed the yellow line and hit the other vehicle head-on. Cunningham was killed upon impact. Easton was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Charges are pending.
Our View
One of the deadliest types of car accidents is the head-on collision. Both vehicles are in motion and typically traveling at high speed, so the impact is horrific. Head-on collisions often end in serious and fatal injuries. But why do head-on crashes happen?
In many cases, these deadly car accidents occur because one of the drivers acts in a negligent manner. If that is proven in court, the injured or the family of the dead may be able to hold that driver accountable and receive financial compensation for their losses. The most common reasons for head-on crashes are:
- Drunk driving: Driving under the influence often causes the driver to swerve and to cross the center yellow line. Twenty-eight people die in drunk driving crashes every day. This is one person every 51 minutes.
- Fatigued driving: Being tired while driving can be as bad as driving under the influence of alcohol. Some tired drivers may actually fall asleep behind the wheel and cause deadly head-on crashes.
- Distracted driving: One of the most common reasons for distracted driving today is talking or texting on a cell phone. This conduct is now illegal in most jurisdictions. You should never use your cell phone when driving your vehicle for any reason. Pull over if you need to use it.
- Rural roads: Nearly 50% of head-on crashes occur on rural highways. These are frequently narrow roads with two lanes and speed limits above 50 MPH. Lack of law enforcement on rural roads often leads to drivers breaking the speed limit.
Our Virginia personal injury attorneys have represented seriously injured clients who suffered serious personal injuries in head-on crashes. One of our clients was a truck driver who was hit head-on and suffered knee, hand and shoulder injuries. The $550,000 settlement for his head-on crash injuries helped him in his long road to recovery as he was unable to work.
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