A driver in Indianapolis was arrested recently on multiple charges after his vehicle rear-ended the patrol car of a state trooper. The trooper had stopped another car and had all of its emergency lights activated. The other vehicle was sitting in front of the trooper's car. The driver who ended up getting arrested was in a Chevrolet Trailblazer.
Fox 59 reports the Trailblazer hit the rear of the trooper's car, which in turn propelled the trooper's vehicle forward and caused it to hit the car which the trooper had pulled over for the traffic stop. The trooper was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries, as was the driver of the Trailblazer who was subsequently arrested. The driver had told investigators he had fallen asleep, but Fox59 reports it turned out he was driving a stolen SUV and may have used meth shortly before the crash.
Rear-End Crashes Often Cause Chain Reactions
While most rear-end crashes aren't caused by alleged meth users in stolen vehicles, such accidents are very common and many end up having a similar outcome to this one: a chain reaction occurs. A driver hits the car in front of him, which in turn propels that car into the car in front of it. This can mean three cars are involved in the crash, or the chain reaction can continue and many vehicles which are in a line can all end up getting rear-ended by the car behind them.
The more tightly packed the vehicles are in the location where the accident happens, and the higher the speed at which the initial rear-end crash occurred, the greater the chances a chain reaction collision will happen. The rear vehicle will have more momentum when it is going faster, which means the force of the impact will be greater and the front car could be pushed farther forward. If there is little space for the front car to go, hitting another vehicle is inevitable.
Chain reaction rear-end accidents can be complicated because there may be many victims who all were hurt in the accident. A determination must be made on who should be held responsible for causing the crash. The driver in the rear who initiated the collision is usually presumed negligent, but drivers who end up in the middle of the chain and who rear-end others could sometimes share in liability if they too were traveling too close to the car directly in front of them.
When a driver hits a vehicle and causes a chain reaction accident with multiple victims and multiple vehicles, the case can be further complicated by the fact the motorist who started the chain reaction may not have enough insurance to cover everyone's injuries. The minimum coverage in Indiana is just $25,000 per person in bodily injury liability; $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability; and $10,000 per accident in property damage. This money can run out very quickly with multiple vehicles and victims, leaving victims looking for alternative parties to make claims against.
Call Hocker & Associates, LLC today at (877) 626-7725 for help after a car accident in Indianapolis.