Car accidents: Alleged drugged driver causes head-on crash

Multiple reasons can cause Missouri drivers to cross into the opposite traffic lanes of highways, and most of them involve negligence. While distractions such as mobile phones, fiddling with radios or conversations with passengers are sometimes blamed for these types of accidents, driving under the influence is often the cause of cross-over car accidents. This is believed to have caused a recent crash on Highway 7.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the wreck occurred during the early evening on a recent Tuesday. An accident report indicates that a 29-year-old Osage Beach driver of a pickup truck was eastbound on the highway in Benton County when he drove across the center line and entered the lanes of the westbound traffic. He landed directly in the path of an SUV that was operated by a 22-year-old woman from Warsaw.

The head-on collision that followed caused injuries to the drivers of both vehicles. The man who crossed over reportedly suffered moderate injuries, and the SUV driver was seriously injured. Both were transported to a hospital by air. Prior to receiving medical treatment, the pickup truck driver was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of drugs, and he also faces a felony charge for controlled substance possession.

Injured victims of car accidents that were caused by negligent drivers retain the right to seek recovery of damages through the Missouri civil justice system. Personal injury claims may be filed in a civil court, and after establishing negligence, the court will adjudicate documented claims for the victim’s medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages sustained. A monetary judgment will typically cover valid claims.

Source: lakenewsonline.com, “Osage Beach man arrested in head-on collision; Warsaw woman seriously injured in wreck“, Oct. 19, 2016