Car Accident Leaves 2 Dead, 2 Hospitalized
A car accident in Sanger, Texas left two victims dead and two others hospitalized with critical injuries Tuesday evening.
About the Fatal Car Accident
According to Denton Record-Chronicle, 21-year-old Steven Wilkerson was driving a 2005 Nissan Altima west on View Road at a high speed with three other passengers, 19-year-old Paul Martie, 20-year-old Johnny Powell and 20-year-old Jaci Dane when the crash occured.
Around 6:21 p.m., the Altima passed through the intersection at Metz Road and hit a bump, causing it go airborne. The vehicle then slid sideways until it struck a utility pole, overturned and then crashed into a tree in the 1800 block of View Road.
Wilkerson and Martie died at the scene of the accident while Powell and Dane were transported to the Medical Center of Plano with critical injuries. None of the passengers were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
The accident caused 30 homes in the area to lose power for about five hours after the vehicle struck the utility pole. The power restoration normally would have taken 90 minutes; however, because of the accident, electricians were unable to get to the area.
The accident remains under police investigation.
Motor Vehicle Statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided the following information
- Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.
- Young adults (18-24) have the highest crash-related injury rates of all adults.
- Seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about 50%.
- Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population. However, they account for 30% ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females.
- Adults age 18-34 are less likely to wear seat belts than adults 35 or older.
