Automobile Accidents: July 2007 Archives

Father of Teen Killed in Selmer Drag Accident Sues

The father of 15-year-old Scarlett Replogle is seeking $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages. Replogle was killed earlier this month when a drag-racing car spun out of control at a fund raising event in Selmer, Tennessee. Troy Critchley, an Australian who lives in the suburbs of Dallas, lost control of his dragster while performing an exhibition burnout. The lawsuit filed by Replogle's father names Critchley, AMS Staff Leasing Inc., Larry Price, and Cars for Kids Southern Style, Inc. as defendants.

Father of Teen Killed

The suit says that Price did not obtain a permit for the parade and did not take precautions to ensure the safety of the spectators. In addition to monetary damages, the lawsuit asks that Price and Cars for Kids, the organizer of the event, not hold another event in Selmer without a detailed safety plan.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:42 AM | Permalink

Man Beaten to Death by Crowd After Car Accident

A crowd beat a man to death in Texas after a vehicle he was riding in hit and injured a young girl. Police say that between 2,000 and 3,000 people were in the area for the Juneteenth celebration when the attack occurred. The driver of the vehicle that hit the girl had stopped to check on the girl when a group of men attacked him. David Rivas Morales, the passenger in the vehicle, got out of the vehicle to help the driver when the crowd turned on him.

Man Beaten to Death by Crowd After Car Accident

Morales was beaten to death by as many as 20 men. He was left lying in a parking lot. The girl who was hit was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver was able to get away from the crowd and is cooperating with investigators.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 11:47 PM | Permalink

Seat Switching Alleged in Accident

Five minors and a liquor store clerk who is believed to have sold alcohol to the minors are being charged in the death of high school student Samara Stricklen. Nanette LaFleur, 17, faces vehicular homicide and eight other counts while Alison Bowen, 16, is being charged with a DUI and a felony count for trying to deceive law enforcement. Van Thien Pham, 44, faces 10 counts of providing alcohol to a minor.

Seat Switching Alleged in Deadly Teenage Car Accident

On March 13, a car containing LaFleur and Bowen crossed the double yellow line on West Alameda Parkway. The vehicle struck a car driven by Seth Mutschler. Mutschler suffered serious injuries, and his passenger Striklen died. The indictment against LaFleur says that she persuaded Bowen to switch places with her because the vehicle was registered to Bowen's parents. Lakewood Police Chief Ron Burns said that "Alison Bowen was identified initially as the driver when an off-duty officer arrived very shortly after the accident scene and saw Alison Bowen behind the wheel of the vehicle. The passengers in the vehicle indicated Alison Bowen was the driver."

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 09:28 PM | Permalink

Woman Wants $75,000 for Injuries

Catherine Purser is suing Beverly Lafleur for more than $75,000 after a Texas car accident. Purser says that on November 2, 2006, she was injured in an automobile accident caused by Lafleur. The lawsuit states that the "plaintiff would show that on the aforementioned date plaintiff was the driver of a vehicle traveling west on Georgia Street when suddenly and without warning, a vehicle being driven by Lafleur failed to stop at a stop sign proximately causing the accident."

Woman Wants $75,000 Plus for Alleged Auto Collision

The lawsuit says that Purser has suffered from severe and disabling injuries as a result of the accident. The lawsuit states that Lafleur is negligent for not maintaining a proper lookout, maintaining proper control of the vehicle, paying appropriate attention to the operation of the vehicle, and making a timely application of the brakes.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 09:10 PM | Permalink

The Dangers of U-Haul

A recent investigation by the Los Angeles Times suggests that U-Haul International's practices are leading to deadly accidents on the road. About four years ago, Marissa Sternberg rented a U-Haul trailer to move her belongings to her new school and had attached the trailer to her Toyota Land Cruiser. Sternberg's friend, Corina Maya Hollander, who was taking a turn driving, said that she felt the trailer begin to swing from side to side and she "knew something bad was going to happen. We both knew." Sternberg's Land Cruiser flipped and bounced along the road before the trailer broke free and flew off the road. Sternberg was thrown from the SUV in the accident; Hollander was able to crawl away from the wreckage. Hollander and Sternberg fell victim to "trailer sway:" a leading cause of severe towing accidents. Trailer sway occurs when a sharp gust of wind is encountered and the trailer begins to swing from side to side. Few drivers are able to regain control of their vehicles once this occurs.

Driving with Rented Risks

Trailer sway has long been a concern of U-Haul. U-Haul maintains that they are "highly conservative" about safety. The safest way to tow is to tow with a vehicle that weighs significantly more than the trailer. However, bad brakes are a recurring problem in U-Haul trailers and may have contributed heavily to the Sternberg accident.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:29 PM | Permalink

July 06, 2007

Father of Teen Killed in Selmer Drag Accident Sues

July 05, 2007

Man Beaten to Death by Crowd After Car Accident

July 04, 2007

Seat Switching Alleged in Accident

July 03, 2007

Woman Wants $75,000 for Injuries

July 02, 2007

The Dangers of U-Haul