Fatalities in head-on auto accidents are second only to the fatalities caused by intersection crashes. There are two primary ways in which head-on accidents occur. A driver crosses over a double line into oncoming traffic or a driver travels the wrong way down a roadway or interstate. Head-on crashes typically involve high speeds and tremendous impacts and though they account for only a small percentage of overall accidents, they cause around 10% of all crash fatalities. Airbags and seatbelts can reduce the risk of fatal and catastrophic injury in head-on collisions. Seatbelts alone can reduce the risk of fatality by 60%.
WKBW Buffalo reports that a man from Grand Island was killed and his family seriously injured in a head-on accident near Lake Placid.
The New York State Police report that the crash took place on Saturday morning in the Town of North Elba near Lake Placid.
50-year-old Kevin Maras of Grand Island was driving eastbound on State Route 85 in North Elba. 62-year-old Rene Castonguay of Quebec was heading westbound. Just after 9 a.m., their vehicles struck one another head-on.
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Both Maras and Castonguay were pronounced dead at the scene. 51-year-old Heather Maras, the wife of the deceased, suffered from injuries to her head, neck, and spine. She was taken to University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. Sierra Maras, 18, suffered from hip and leg injuries and was taken to the same hospital as her mother. Their 16-year-old daughter was taken to the Adirondack Medical Center to be treated for facial lacerations.
The crash is still under investigation. No charges have been filed.
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