An accident in another part of upstate New York left two children one 11 and one 4, dead. Another child involved in the accident, an 8-year-old, had to be taken to the hospital. The child’s injuries were described as critical.
Police indicated that the accident happened in the morning hours at an intersection with traffic lights. Officers said that one vehicle was attempting a left turn, but a vehicle traveling on the same road struck the turning vehicle.
It is not clear whether the vehicle that hit the turning vehicle was coming from the same or the opposite direction.
Altogether, 3 children and 2 adults were directly involved in the accident. The two adults escaped with injuries that were not critical.
New York drivers have a responsibility to be safe at intersections
Police and others will no doubt continue to investigate this tragic accident. As of now, there is no report that authorities have issued a citation or otherwise laid any responsibility on either driver.
However, this tragedy still serves as an important reminder to people to drive safely at intersections, particularly at major ones in which there can be lots of traffic traveling at relatively high speeds.
Of course, drivers should follow the law. They should not try to beat a traffic light and should not ignore a stop sign just because they did not see any other vehicles.
More than that, though, motorists in the Olean area need to slow down and pay careful attention at an intersection. They must avoid texting and driving and other distractions, as even the slightest inattentiveness at an intersection can lead to a fatal mistake.
Drivers who cause an injury or death because they were not cautious when at an intersection can be held legally responsible for the damages they cause.
