personal injury law

Article written by: Annie Reynolds

Inadequate Guardrails Cause Lethal Car Crash Seven people were killed last week in New York City when an SUV lost control on the highway and plunged more than 50 feet to the grounds of the Bronx Zoo. According to police, a Honda Pilot, driven by Maria Gonzalez, bumped a median, crossed all southbound lanes, hit a 2 foot high concrete curb then went over the guardrail landing upside down. According to one safety group, the Bronx River Parkways lack[] of modern transportation engineering features is at least partly to blame. A spokesperson for the American Automobile Association (AAA) reported that the highway features narrow lanes, steep hills, tight turns, inadequate guardrails and no breakdown lane. According to AAA, the section of the road where the crash occurred is on a list of locations exhibiting the most severe highway safety needs. The AAA report specifically blames the presence of the concrete curb and the guardrails deficient height for the deadly crash. According to the report, curbs are not used on high-speed roadways, such as the Bronx River Parkway, because they can serve as catapults. In this case, the curb served as launching pad, sending the vehicle over the guardrail. In addition, the guardrail was only 4 feet tall, which is not high enough for an elevated roadway. State officials have indicated that the guardrail is in compliance with Federal Highway Administration regulations for elevated highways. Nonetheless, the State Transportation Department has already started to install new concrete barriers to supplement the existing guardrails. Investigators also report that the driver of the Pilot was travelling approximately 68 mph, well above the posted 50 mph speed limit. The official investigation is continuing.

Annie Reynolods is a plaintiffs attorney

in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Annie is an advocate for those seriously harmed by negligent actions of others.

Sheridan & Murray LLC

1600 Market Street, Suite 2500 Philadelphia, PA 19103 866-INJURIES
or

866-465-8743

www.SheridanAndMurray.com

personal injury law

Article written by: Annie Reynolds

The accident killed three generations of a family. The victims ages ranged from 3 to 85 years old. The crash was the second accident in the past year where a car fell off the same stretch of the Bronx River Parkway.

Annie Reynolods is a plaintiffs attorney

in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Annie is an advocate for those seriously harmed by negligent actions of others.

Sheridan & Murray LLC

1600 Market Street, Suite 2500 Philadelphia, PA 19103 866-INJURIES
or

866-465-8743

www.SheridanAndMurray.com