Authorities have identified a woman who died earlier this week in a serious early morning car accident. The crash happened around 3 a.m. Monday on Elm Hill Pike and the intersection of Airlane Drive. Pictures of the crash show a crumpled car in a ditch at the intersection. Authorities say that the woman lost control of her car, drove into oncoming traffic, and then flew off of the road.
This car accident is a reminder of the importance of seat belt use. Many of the serious personal injuries discussed on this site are attributable to bad driving habits of negligent motorists and the failure of car passengers and drivers to wear safety restraints. Authorities say that the 38-year-old Greeneville woman involved in Monday's crash was not buckled in, although it is unclear whether a seat belt would have saved her life in this particular crash.
Although the role of seat belt use has not been determined in this crash, many of the serious traffic accidents that we have covered in previous posts involve buckled-in passengers who escape crashes with minor cuts and bruises and unbuckled passengers who die of blunt force trauma injuries upon being ejected from a car.
Drugs may have also played a role in this particular crash. Authorities say that they found a bottle of prescription painkillers in the car and a small amount of marijuana on the body of the deceased motorist. It is unclear whether the motorist had a prescription for the drugs found in the car and toxicology results on the woman's body are pending.
Source: NewsChannel5, "Woman Killed In Early Morning Crash Identified," Oct. 17, 2011