Anyone who is used to driving in New Hampshire during winter understands how challenging it can be. Throughout the state, there are often inclement road conditions from heavy snowfall and ice-covered roadways. Drivers, of course, are obligated to adhere to traffic laws but also to slow down and act with caution if they are having trouble gaining traction on a slippery road in traffic. A recent collision ended tragically.
A man and a woman were apparently traveling together on a Wednesday night. Police said they were called to the scene of an accident just after 7:30 p.m., and when they arrived, they found a vehicle that had crashed into a utility pole. The man and the woman were in the vehicle. Sadly, the man did not survive his injuries, and the woman was transported to a hospital for emergency care.
There was black ice on the road
The term “black ice” refers to a black-top roadway that appears to be wet but is actually covered in ice. The man and woman whose vehicle crashed into a pole reportedly hit a patch of black ice on the road moments before the collision. The man was behind the wheel of the pickup truck at the time, and police say the vehicle had started sliding, the went into a spin and struck the pole.
Driver negligence is often a causal factor in wintertime collisions
Whether one vehicle is involved in a New Hampshire collision or multiple vehicles, investigators can usually determine whether one or more drivers were distracted, intoxicated or reckless when their vehicles crashed. When a driver’s negligence is responsible for a collision, a passenger or person in another vehicle who suffers injury may file a personal injury claim in court to seek compensation for damages. If the driver whose negligence caused an accident suffered fatal injuries, a claim may still be filed against his or her estate.
