The initial accident that began the deadly chain of events involved only two vehicles. A car rear-ended a pickup truck, with the car then facing the wrong way on the interstate. The truck did not stop, but the driver later contacted authorities to say that he kept driving because there did not seem to be any major damage to his vehicle. However, the car facing the wrong way on the interstate was struck by another vehicle and disabled while the driver was attempting to move it out of the way. After being struck for the second time, the driver exited her car to stand beside the median wall.
Two more cars struck the woman’s disabled vehicle before authorities arrived. During the following crashes, the woman who had exited her vehicle was pinned to the median wall. One of the other vehicles contained a mother and her children. A dispatcher was able to convince the mother to remain in her vehicle before authorities arrived.
Dispatchers received a total of 21 calls about the accident. All of the victims were transported to Kennestone Hospital for treatment. The woman pinned to the median wall died as a result of her injuries, but the other victims only suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Georgia authorities do not know if the woman would have survived if she had stayed in her vehicle. This car accident was not the result of a single crash, but rather multiple crashes occurring in quick succession on an interstate highway. A personal injury lawyer can help victims, including the surviving families of deceased victims, assess the underlying circumstances, and determine the best way forward for achieving legal recourse.
Source: wsbtv.com, “Police: Woman killed when she got out of car on interstate following crash“, Wendy Halloran, Jan. 4, 2018
