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One Teen Killed in Fredericksburg Crash

By Beth Janicek

This past week in Fredericksburg, TX, there was a tragic accident that killed one teenager and injured four others. The five teenagers were driving in a Ford F-150 pickup, when they lost control going around a curve and struck a tree. Katie Lynn Stevens, 15 was pronounced dead at the scene about an hour after the crash. Dillon Lee Reeh, 16, and Cord Jordan Weinheimer, 15, were taken to Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg with minor injuries, and Andrew Keller Rodriguez, 16, and Erica Anna Lehocky, 15, were taken to University Hospital in San Antonio in stable condition.

This accident is devastating for everyone involved. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families and friends affected by the accident.

Young drivers, ages 15- to 20-years old, are especially vulnerable to death and injury on our roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America. Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.

"Inexperience and immaturity combined with speed, possible drinking and driving, not wearing seatbelts, distracted driving, drowsy driving, nighttime driving, and potentially other drug use contribute to the large amount of teen-related crashes.'

The NHTSA has developed a multi-tiered strategy to prevent motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries among teen drivers. The comprehensive approach to teen driver safety includes: increasing seat belt use, implementing graduated driver licensing, reducing teens access to alcohol, and parental responsibility.

The NHTSA website on teenage drivers provides fundamental resources and information on seat belt use, youth access to alcohol, graduated driver licensing, and parents & teens needed to help reduce the amount of teen crashes.

According to the Traffic Safety Facts from the NHTSA, sixteen year old drivers have crash rates that are about three times greater than 17 year old drivers, five times greater than 18 year old drivers, and approximately twice the rate of 85 year old drivers. To address this problem the NHTSA and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators developed an entry level driver licensing program, which 49 states and the District of Colombia have adopted. The graduated driver licensing program consists of three stages, learner's permit, intermediate (provisional) license, and full licensure.

• Stage 1: Learner's Permit: Sets minimum age at no younger than age 16; pass vision and knowledge test; completion of basic driver training; licensed adult (at least 21 years old) required in the vehicle at all times; all occupants must wear seatbelts; teenage passenger restrictions; must remain crash and conviction free for at least six months to move to the next level; no use of portable electronic communication and entertainment devices.

• Stage 2: Intermediate (Provisional) License: Completion of stage 1; minimum age of 16.5; pass behind the wheel road test; completion of advanced driver education training; all occupants must wear seatbelts; licensed adult required in the vehicle from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m; not more than one teenage passenger for the first 12 months of intermediate license (afterward, limit the number of teenage passengers to two until age 18); must remain crash and conviction free for at least 12 months to advance to the next step; no use of portable electronic communication and entertainment devices.

• Stage 3: Full Licensure: Completion of stage 2; state sets minimum age of 18 for lifting passenger and nighttime restrictions.

Hopefully, the graduated driver licensing program will help reduce the amount of teen-related care accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Full post as published by San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer on January 12, 2010 (boomark / email).