On the same day kindergarten teacher Erika Wells was killed in a bicycle
accident, a second member of the Wayne Township Schools community was
fatally injured in a car crash. Frank Wilson, Jr. was the passenger in
a car involved in a collision with a pickup truck on the west side of
Indianapolis.
Just before 11 p.m., it appears the pickup was traveling west on 10th street when the car in which Wilson was riding turned in front of the
pickup from eastbound 10th street. Investigators believe the car was attempting to go north on Whitcomb
Ave. The result was a t-bone accident, in which the pickup was unable
to stop and ran into the passenger side of the car. Frank Wilson, Jr.
was immediately taken to a local hospital in critical condition. He lost
his fight for life shortly afterward.
Both drivers were hospitalized in good condition. Drugs and alcohol are
not believed to be factors in the ongoing investigation of the accident.
T-Bone Accidents: Common and Deadly
T-bone accidents occur when
the side of one vehicle is impacted by the front or rear of another vehicle. These kinds of accidents are
also called broadside accidents or right-angle collisions. Unfortunately,
t-bone accidents are incredibly common and highly dangerous for a few reasons.
Intersections are a frequent site of accidents, comprising up to 50% of
all accidents in urban environments. Amongst intersection accidents, many
are t-bone accidents that occur when one vehicle is attempting a turn,
like in the accident that killed Frank Wilson, Jr. The collision can take
place because the turning vehicle fails to yield or doesn’t see
the vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. It can also take
place if the non-turning driver fails to stop at a traffic signal. There
are other situations in which a broadside accident can occur, but these
are the most common.
Regardless of how the accident comes about, the result can be deadly, especially
for the people in the car taking the side impact. With a front or rear
impact, the driver and passengers are some distance from the impact of
the crash, but in a side-impact collision, there is only a matter of inches
between the collision point and the person inside the vehicle. Severe
injuries and death are often the outcomes, though the severity will depend
on how exactly where on the side of the car the impact occurs and what
side safety features exist on the vehicle.
The Indianapolis-based attorneys at Wagner Reese have a long history of
winning settlements for the victims of car and truck accidents. If you believe another driver’s
negligence is responsible for your injuries or the loss of a loved one,
we advise you to contact an experienced auto accident attorney who will
listen carefully to your story and help walk you through the steps of
pursuing a claim. At Wagner Reese, you never have to pay unless your case
is settled or won, and your initial consultation is totally free. Call
us today at (888) 204-8440 to get started.