Speed, Seat Belts, and Inexperience to Blame for Fatal Car Accident

June 28, 2012

Police say that speeding, combined with a lack of driving experience and seat belt use, were responsible for causing a Waushara County Car Accident that claimed the lives of two local teens and seriously injured another individual. The accident occurred this past Sunday on Highway 21, near 31st Avenue in the town of Warren.

According to reports from FOX 11 News, a 15-year-old girl, from Redgranite, was behind the wheel of an SUV carrying two passengers. She was heading east along the highway when she unexpectedly lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle jerked into the oncoming lanes of traffic before crossing back over into a field and crashing into a barn.

The driver and a 17-year-old front seat passenger, neither of whom were wearing seatbelts, died at the scene. A 20-year-old passenger in the rear suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a local hospital.

Another contributing factor to the accident may have been the passengers in the vehicle. A recent study by the AAA Foundation shows a teen driver’s risk of getting into an accident goes up by 44% when a passenger under the age of 21 is riding with them, and the risk doubles when there are two passengers.

A Sigman Janssen car accident lawyer in Oshkosh would like to remind parents to talk to their teens about the risks associated with carrying passengers and driving without a seatbelt.