Around 2:40 a.m. a deadly car crash occurred on Interstate 5 at Hood-Franklin Road near Elk Grove, as a wrong way driver caused a head-on collision. The wrong way driver was driving a BMW. An off-duty police officer witnessed the driver heading the wrong way and tried to flag him down. Shortly afterwards the BMW collided with a Toyota Camry. The cars broke out in flames. Cosumnes Fire Department arrived and put out the fire. The victims were extricated from the vehicles. The names of the survivors have not been released yet.
Head-on collisions are not as likely to happen as other types of accidents. If someone is heading right towards you, veer off to your right. Because the other driver might try to correct back into his lane as he is approaching you. In this situation, you may get hit because you went to your left instead of your right. Also, if you veer to the right and hit something on the far right-side of the road, along the side of your vehicle, it is less likely to cause severe injury or death than a head-on collision. So if your choices are to continue head-on, versus hit something on the right side of the road, veer to the right. Hitting an immobile object on the side of the road at 45 mph will have less impact then getting into a head-on collision. If both drivers are traveling at 45 mph towards each other, the impact will be 90 mph. And if the vehicle coming towards you is a semi-truck, the sheer weight of the truck will make your survival practically impossible. Hit a sign along the side of the road, you will be more likely to survive.
Experts recommend that children should not ride in the front seat until the age of 12. Airbags are hazardous for children under 12 years of age. Because they inflate in head-on collisions with rapid, high amounts of pressure which can deliver a significant blow to the head and face of a child, resulting in more injury. If your older child is sitting in the front seat, position the front passenger seat in the farthest position away from the dash board. An airbag can strike a child hard enough to cause brain or neck injury- even death. Some airbag systems can be turned off easily and should be off while a child is in the front seat.
