A 75-year-old man passed away after suffering serious injuries in a La Plata car accident Saturday, October 8. According to representatives from the Maryland State Police, the man was trying to turn left onto Stone Avenue from Smallwood Drive, but failed to yield to oncoming traffic. He crashed into a Maryland State Police vehicle, which had its emergency lights flashing. The trooper’s car then crashed into a tree, and both vehicles caught on fire. Fortunately, the trooper was able to escape in time to avoid major injuries. She attempted to pull the elderly man from his car, but was unable to do so. Fire and emergency medical service teams were eventually able to extract him, but the man succumbed to his injuries two days later while in the hospital.

Failure to yield a common accident

Failure to yield is one of the most common types of fatal accidents, as it often involves high speeds and head-on collisions. Motorists who are making left turns across traffic must be completely sure the way is clear for them to proceed. They should also be sure it’s legal to make the turn. For example, it is illegal to turn left on a red arrow. When one driver fails to yield and car accident results, insurance adjusters and courts almost always consider that person to be at fault for the crash. For more information on failure-to-yield accidents and how to proceed with a claim if you believe another party’s negligence led to your injuries or property damage, speak with a skilled La Plata personal injury lawyer at Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.