New Jersey residents often travel in groups for school, church or business functions. Often, the trips are full of social activity and excitement, and many people don’t give much thought to the chance of a car accident. For a small church group returning home from an event, a tired driver and a momentary loss of vehicle control resulted in an accident and multiple injuries.
According to authorities, the accident occurred around 5:26 a.m. on Tuesday, April 15. The incident involved a single large van; all nine passengers and the driver were church members returning home to another state after attending an event in New Jersey. According to police, the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
The van, which was traveling westbound, left the roadway. The vehicle hit a utility pole breaking it and came to rest after rolling completely over. All 10 individuals inside the van sustained injuries of some type.
Authorities report that five people sustained critical injuries, including the driver and a pregnant woman. The woman, who was nine months pregnant, underwent an emergency C-section at a nearby hospital. Both the woman and the baby were listed in critical condition as of April 15.
The five other passengers were treated at a separate hospital for mild to moderate injuries. Some of the passengers – both critically and moderately injured — were children. Investigators say the accident is still under investigation. The area around the accident was closed for several hours as investigators worked the scene.
Diligence is always a requirement for drivers, and getting behind the wheel in a state of exhaustion can be construed as negligence. In an event where negligence of any type plays a role in injuries, individuals do have an option to seek compensation for medical and other legal damages.
Source: NJ.com, “Upper Pittsgrove van crash hurts 10, critically injured woman gives birth” Bill Gallo Jr., Apr. 15, 2014