Van Rollover Kills 7 Utah State Students and Instructor
Eight Killed in Van Rollover Accident
On the afternoon of Monday 26 September 2005, a 16-passenger Dodge van carrying several students and one instructor from Utah State University blew a tire on the freeway returning from a school field trip. This tire blowout caused the van to rollover four times before coming to a stop just six feet from a 50-foot ravine. While the van was salvaged from the impending ravine plumage, all 11 occupants were thrown out of the vehicle during this van rollover tragedy.
This horrific single-car accident killed seven undergraduate agricultural students, mostly freshman, and their instructor who had been operating the vehicle at the time of the accident. Three students were hospitalized, two in critical condition, after suffering serious injuries in this van rollover accident. The accident occurred 65 miles northwest of Salt Lake City near Tremont where the university class had gone to look at harvest equipment.
The Utah Highway Patrol reports that not a single passenger in the van had been wearing their seatbelt at the time of the van rollover. In this type of accident, properly functioning and correctly worn seat belts are meant to restrain a passenger from ejection from the vehicle and forceful contact with the internal parts of the vehicle.
While it is important to wear a seatbelt in any motor vehicle, seat belt use is particularly important in vehicles with a greater propensity for rollover in an accident. SUVs, vans, and some trucks are up to three times more likely to rollover in an accident, compared to standard passenger cars. Van rollover fatalities are often mitigated with seatbelt use.
The Utah Troopers also report that the van’s roof was collapsed to the windows after the van rollover accident. Roof crush is a serious injury in passenger car, SUV, and van rollover accidents. A vehicle’s roof is supposed to withstand a certain amount of pressure upon impact to remain intact and prevent contributing to passenger injuries.
When the roof crushes during a van rollover accident, portals can be created through which a passenger may be ejected from the vehicle. Roof crush may also expose sharp edges within the vehicle, thereby posing a major threat to passengers. The act of the roof crushing down on a vehicle occupant alone is often enough to do serious physical damage. There are currently no effective federal standards which regulate vehicle roof quality.
Many of the details of this tragic van rollover accident are yet to be uncovered. Did driver negligence or recklessness play a role in this fatal accident? Did a defective tire cause the blow out and subsequent van rollover? Was roof crush responsible for some of the injuries suffered in this accident? These and many other questions are being asked by grieving family members and investigators alike. If the investigation finds that a vehicle defect contributed to the van rollover accident, the vehicle manufacturer may be held liable for this tragic Utah van rollover accident.
Passenger vans are among the most dangerous vehicles on the road in terms of potential for rollover. In the case of a rollover accident, the vehicle manufacturer may be held liable for any serious injuries or deaths suffered. Rollover lawsuits are much more complicated than standard auto accident cases. Our attorneys have expert knowledge in Rollover cases and auto defect law. To speak with us about your legal rights, call Toll Free at 888-546-6610 or you may click here to contact us via email.
