New Haven multi-car accident began with motorist hitting dog

Not all road accidents are straightforward collisions. In many cases, there is a sequence of events whose conclusion is the actual crash. Such a series can often bring to light various cases of irresponsibility on the roads, which can have extremely tragic consequences. In one recent car accident in New Haven, Connecticut, more than one person violated traffic laws, creating a scenario that led to a multi-car accident, but fortunately no fatalities.

In the incident, the driver of one car struck a dog that had entered the street, causing the owner of the dog to follow in a second vehicle. The pursuit led to the owner speeding through a stop light and colliding with a third car, which then rammed a car parked nearby. Per Connecticut law, the driver of the car which injured the dog was required to halt at the scene, but failed to do so. To date, police have yet to identify this person. The owner of the dog was later given a ticket. Another person, seated in one of the other cars, was also penalized for carrying an infant without using safety restraints.

The car crash caused non-critical injuries to three adults; thankfully, the infant was not hurt. However, it should be noted that the infant could have been affected more seriously, especially given the lack of protection. According to one expert, infants who are not securely positioned inside a vehicle have the potential to not only get injured themselves, but also threaten the safety of others both inside and outside the car. In addition, they may also be grievously struck by expanding airbags, which are a necessary safety feature for adults.

A collision involving multiple automobiles and people is obviously a cause for great concern. There are also complications relating to liability and determining who all may be at fault. It is easy to see that more caution was required from all parties in the case discussed. Again, if the first driver had halted upon hitting the dog, the other crashes may have been prevented.

Source: New Haven Register, “Dog hit by vehicle leads to chase, four-car crash in New Haven,” July 30, 2014