• 25
  • March
    2011

Just before 12:30 a.m. on March 23, a tragic car accident claimed the life of a 19-year-old man from Huntsville. The fatal accident involved only a single vehicle, which was driven by another Huntsville teen, also 19, who sustained serious injuries including a broken collar bone, a concussion and a broken back, according to a family member.

The fatal car accident occurred on Highway 72 near Epworth Road on Chapman Mountain. Huntsville Police and Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene to find that the car had slammed into a light pole. A rescue squad from Huntsville and Madison counties and Huntsville firefighters had to free the driver and passenger from the vehicle. The 19-year-old passenger died on the scene.

The teen driver was rushed to Huntsville Hospital in serious condition with fractured vertebrae and other injuries. He is expected to recover.

Police told reporters that neither man was wearing a seat belt, but a man claiming to be the brother of the driver disputed that claim in a comment on WHNT-TV's website. The brother pointed out that the injured driver had "seatbelt rash" on his hip and shoulder.

The fatal car accident is still under investigation, but police say that the young driver lost control of his car before crashing into the light pole. He was given a toxicology test, but the results have not been reported. Police officers apparently spent several hours early Wednesday trying to determine why the driver lost control.

According to a 10-year nationwide study by the Texas Transportation Institute, night driving is particularly risky for teens. The study found that driving at night was associated with more car accident fatalities than was drinking, speeding or failure to wear a seat belt.

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