DUI suspected in Middle Paxton Township car accident

Authorities believe that alcohol may have been a factor in a recent fatal car accident in Middle Paxton Township. The early morning accident happened when a driver went the wrong way on the road, heading westbound in the eastbound lanes, and collided head-on into another vehicle. The wrong-way driver was injured and flown to a nearby hospital. The driver of the other vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to 2012 statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, about 14 car accidents happen every hour in the state, resulting in one crash-related death every seven hours.

The most common causes of crashes in Pennsylvania are excessive speed and alcohol. The majority of alcohol-related fatal crashes happen at night, and crashes where alcohol is a factor tend to happen most often on weekends, while non-alcohol-related fatal crashes occur during the workweek.

Without a doubt, car accidents come at enormous cost — financially in the form of medical expenses, property damages and lost work time, as well as emotional — in the form of pain and suffering, loss of companionship and emotional stress. Compensation may be available for those whose injuries came from an accident that occurred due to no fault of their own.

Because insurance companies frequently want to limit their financial liability as much as possible, accident investigations provide a great importance in determining how and why the accident occurred, as well as who was at fault. An experienced car accident attorney can also help to navigate the complicated process.

Source:  WHP-TV, “Deadly crash closes 322/22 east bound,” June 23, 2013