According to The Oregonian, a teenager suffered fatal injuries and three others were hospitalized after a car accident in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday morning.
Teens out Caroling before Fatal Crash
A Volkswagen car carrying five teens was traveling in a caravan of three cars full of other teens that were taking part in Christmas caroling. The teenagers were returning to Wilsonville after singing at homes in Happy Valley, driving on Mt. Scott Boulevard near Southeast 103rd Avenue when the crash occurred.
Officials say the Volkswagen attempted to pass one of the other vehicles in an oncoming lane but it missed a sharp turn and crashed off the road and down an embankment, reports The Oregonian. Sixteen-year-old Samuel Chiriac died in the car wreck. One of the teens in the car suffered from life-threatening injuries and two others sustained serious injuries in the crash. The fifth teen passenger was uninjured.
Officials believe dense fog may have played a role in the fatal crash, reports The Oregonian. They do not believe impairment was a factor. The crash is currently under investigation. Chiriac’s death is the 43rd traffic fatality in the city in 2016.
Motor Vehicle Traffic Accident Statistics
The following information is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- 35,092 people died in motor vehicle wrecks on U.S. roadways in 2015.
- This is an increase of 7.2 percent from 2014 – the largest increase in nearly 50 years.
- An estimated 2.44 million people suffered injuries in motor vehicle accidents in 2015.
- 105,000 more people sustained injuries in crashes in 2015 compared to 2014.
- Fatal multiple-vehicle crashes increased by 11.2 percent from 2014.
