Speed Was a Factor in North Carolina Car Accident Involving Teen Driver and School Bus
According to police, the 16-year-old driver of a car that rear-ended a Wake County school bus had been speeding. Charges are pending against David Lawrence Asato, a Franklinton teen.
The Raleigh car crash happened on Monday afternoon when Asato, who was driving a 2006 Kia, ran into and the bus, which then collided with a 1999 Honda. Killed in the North Carolina traffic accident was 14-year-old Jared Paul Williams, who was a passenger in the Kia. Asato and another passenger, 15-year-old Nolan Mayo Lundberg, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
There were no students on the bus when the North Carolina bus accident happened. The bus driver and the two people in the Honda did not get hurt.
Police say that Asato had been driving at 60 mph when the speed limit was 45 mph. Also, they say there is no indication that the teenager tried to swerve or brake to avoid causing the traffic crash.
Asato has a provisional driver’s license. He is not allowed to have more than one non-family passenger in his vehicle when he is driving.
Speeding
Speeding is one of the most common traffic violations committed on US roads. Many people don’t think they are doing anything wrong when they over the speed limit or fail to slow down when the road or weather conditions are poor. However, speeding is a factor in many US car crashes.
Why speeding can be dangerous:
• It makes it easier for a driver to lose control of a vehicle.
• It increases how much time a driver will need to stop his/her car.
• It increases the force of impact during a traffic crash.
• It takes longer for a driver who is driving at a high speed to come to a stop.
• It makes it harder for a driver to regain control of a vehicle.
Report: Teens were speeding before fatal north Raleigh wreck, WRAL, September 28, 2010
Car-school bus crash kills boy, 14, NewsObserver, September 28, 2010
Related Web Resources:
What Causes Car Accidents?, SmartMotorist.com
Speeding, SafeRoads.org
