Traffic accidents happen so rapidly that a relatively mundane rear-end collision can quickly become an incident involving many cars or trucks. A recent multi-vehicle collision on Highway 152 demonstrates this phenomenon.
The accident
According to the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle was traveling west on the 150 Highway when it was rear-ended by a Chevrolet Malibu. The collision threw the motorcyclist off the bike.
The Malibu was then struck from behind by a Honda Civic. A Dodge Ram pickup truck was struck from behind by a Toyota Scion as it slowed in an attempt to avoid the damaged vehicles on the roadway.
As if to put a period at the end of a long sentence, a Ford Focus then struck the motorcycle as it was lying on the highway.
The driver of the motorcycle was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the Malibu was also taken to an area hospital with less serious injuries. No other injuries were reported.
Determining fault
The early media reports of the accident appear to cast the most blame on the driver of the Chevrolet. The driver may have been speeding or simply failed to see the motorcycle. One news report stated that the motorcycle was black, a fact that would impair visibility at the time of the accident, shortly after 11:00 p.m.
Police made no mention of the possibility of drugs or alcohol being factors in the collision.
It can be difficult to determine what happened in the chaotic aftermath of a car accident, and that’s especially true after a multi-vehicle accident. The police use experts in accident reconstruction when they are investigating accidents. The reports these experts compile can be invaluable evidence when the injured seek to recover compensation for their damages.