Wesley Brown Killed in Ward, AR, Single-Car Accident
Ward, AR -- February 6, 2017, Wesley Brown was killed after an accident where his vehicle somehow lost control and crashed off-road.
According to a preliminary investigation conducted by the Arkansas State Police, the accident occurred around 9:00 a.m. in the 1130 block of Highway 367.
Their report claims that 37-year-old Brown was driving a 2008 Dodge Ram northbound on the highway. For reasons yet to be determined, the vehicle lost control and crossed over the center line. It careened off-road and onto the lawn of a nearby residence.
The vehicle crashed through a couple of fences on the property before eventually hitting a storm shelter and flipping over. The crash inflicted fatal injuries to Brown, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
At this time, authorities have not determined what factors contributed to the crash. Weather was foggy at the time, but it's unclear if this contributed at all.
Investigations are ongoing.
Map of the Area
Commentary
This accident and many like it often leave a lot to question since details surrounding the crash are so vague. I'd like to know just how far off road the vehicle traveled before crashing. If the pickup went a significant distance without stopping, it's possible that Mr. Brown lost control of the vehicle due to some factors beyond his control.
When most people read an accident report like this, their first assumption is that the driver was at fault for the crash. It's true that the common causes of single-vehicle accidents tend to be driver related--texting and driving, intoxication, exhaustion, etc. However, I've seen time and time again where single-vehicle accidents were caused by factors which investigators did not immediately consider.
Things like tire blowouts, hazardous potholes, even mechanical failures have been known to cause cars to lose control in the past. These aren't the most common causes, but they've happened before and they'll happen again. It's something our firm is asked about a lot by those who are affected by single-car wrecks. Our article below goes in-depth about how we've approached these kinds of accidents in the past.
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The main point to remember--especially in early stages of an investigation--is to ensure that all of the facts and all of the possibilities surrounding the accident are thoroughly considered before making any conclusions. Driver error being a common cause for single-vehicle accidents does not mean it should automatically applied to all crashes. Only once all of the information is brought to light can any sort of resolution be reached.
--Grossman Law Offices
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