Our Clear Lake, TX accident lawyers have written before on the dangers of accident injury and fatality resulting from driving in poor visibility conditions. In Texas, bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists suffer the worst toll from drivers making their way through poor visibility conditions. We don’t often experience the thick fogs that British drivers seem to experience on a fairly regular basis.
In Somerset, England on Friday night, Britain suffered one of its worst-ever roadway disasters because of poor visibility from thick fog. A fiery 34-vehicle pileup on the M5 roadway claimed at least 7 lives and injured more than 50 other victims. Wet roadways and fireworks smoke from a nearby festival may have magnified the danger from the fog.
As one witness tells it, a bank of black fog suddenly descended and completely blocked from view a nearby truck (“lorry”) on the M5 highway they were driving. The witness says they took immediate action to evade the danger of crashing into the truck, but others weren’t so lucky. They heard one loud “thump” after another as multiple vehicles crashed together in the thick bank of fog. Multiple explosions followed, and a massive fireball engulfed the scene of the 34-vehicle pileup. Witnesses say jets of flame shot at least 200 meters into the air.
Ordinary citizens and first responders alike were balked in rescue efforts by the heat, flames, and poor visibility. The fiery 34-vehicle pileup tragically killed at least 7 people. Officials say that they expect the toll to rise. The massive fireball and multiple-vehicle wreck injured more than 50 other people. Officials say that some vehicles were burned completely down to the ground, and they expected it to take more than a day to clear the scene of the wreckage.
Witness accounts indicate that it took only a few moments for the massive 34-vehicle pileup to occur after the bank of fog descended. Apparently drivers could clearly see the road around them at one moment, and at the next they were blinded by fog. According to reports, local drivers were familiar with foggy conditions and this stretch of roadway, which reportedly was a straightaway without curves or turns.
Even where you know the road, and you’re familiar with poor visibility conditions in that area, you should always slow down and proceed carefully. Pull well off the roadway if conditions seem like they’re becoming too bad to driver; don’t take chances with your life or others’ lives.
This 34-vehicle pileup illustrates the danger that almost anything can happen suddenly when you’re on a fast-moving, busy roadway. Take precautions. The life you save may be your own. And if you do suffer injury from a complicated accident scene, hire an experienced accident lawyer to conduct a thorough investigation for you.
Your Clear Lake, TX accident lawyer’s skill and knowledge could help you identify the causes of the wreck and the parties at fault for your injuries. Especially in a highly complex accident situation like this one in Somerset, England, it would take some while to accurately trace the sequence of events and the actual causative factors for each victim’s injuries. Highly specialized investigators and attorneys would be needed to reconstruct the accident.
If you’re suffering because of a local accident, contact our Clear Lake, TX accident lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your accident. We could help you understand your legal options for recovering fair monetary compensation for your injuries. We’ve helped many other accident victims obtain just recoveries over the years. We would be pleased to help you too.