Keila Wangen Killed in Single-Vehicle Accident on Dallas North Tollway in Frisco, TX
Frisco, TX — June 1, 2022, 30-year-old Keila Lee Wangen was killed in a single-vehicle accident on the Dallas North Tollway in Frisco.
According to reports the incident happened around 3:40 p.m. on the tollway near mile marker 1540. Preliminary investigation suggests Wangen was driving a Land Rover SUV north on the roadway, which was wet from rain falling in the area at the time.
Reports say the tread on the Land Rover's rear tires was heavily worn and its rear suspension may have had a mechanical problem. The tires began to alternately leave the roadway in what investigators called a "bunny hop" and Wangen lost control. The Rover slid toward the inner guardrail as its front tires bounced upward, causing the SUV to go over the rail and overturn. It rolled down an embankment and came to rest on its side at the bottom.
Wangen was ejected during the rollover and suffered fatal injuries.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Keila Wangen Accident in Frisco
Based on reports it seems investigators almost ran out of fingers to point at possible contributing factors. The Land Rover evidently had suspension problems that made it start hopping along the roadway, but reports also said its rear tires were worn down which would have been a big problem on the wet road.
Speaking of that road, investigators also believe the victim was going too fast for conditions and may not have been in a particularly sound frame of mind to navigate it. Blood tests ultimately showed she had a BAC of .135 and may have been under the influence of multiple prescription medications.
As I said, that's quite a laundry list of possible culprits all working in concert to create this tragic accident. While I'm sorry to see it, it does at least serve as a clear example of something I often tell people who call the firm: Many crashes can't be boiled down to a single causal factor, even if early reports only blame a single thing. Further careful investigation typically finds that several things happened at once and each played a part.
The next part of the investigation is determining what "percent" of responsibility each factor should take. How much of a role did the driver's alleged intoxication play? What about the damaged parts of her vehicle? The weather and road conditions? Was anything else involved that investigators might have missed, like the driver being ejected because her seat belt was defective or broken?
Finding the answers to those may require greater attention to detail than police normally show, which is why it may be best to have independent investigators with the right training and tools take another look. At the very least it's important to leave no stone unturned when seeking answers for the victim's loved ones. Any steps beyond that to hold someone accountable likely couldn't be determined until all the facts are in.
