Illegal passing on narrow road causes auto accident

A two-lane highway in Pennsylvania and elsewhere typically has one lane going in one direction and the other lane going in the opposite direction. There are generally no additional lanes for passing. An auto accident can easily occur on such a roadway when drivers fail to take strict precautionary measures to avoid mishaps.

That is apparently what happened on Nov. 24 on a two-lane road in Lower Chanceford Township at about 10 p.m. The driver of a car illegally moved into the other lane to pass a pickup truck in front of it. The driver of the car apparently did not see what was ahead since the accident occurred at the crest of a hill where passing was prohibited.

While attempting the dangerous pass, the driver of the car hit the pick-up truck it was trying to pass and collided head-on into a vehicle coming in the other direction. At least 10 people suffered injuries, according to first responders. The driver of the passing car had three passengers, and the other vehicle had five passengers. All passengers were taken to area hospitals with suspected serious injuries. The driver of the pick-up and his passenger were not injured.

Based on the reports, the driver who attempted to pass at the crest of a hill was allegedly negligent in operating his vehicle. The Pennsylvania State Police will likely issue citations to that driver for illegal passing and reckless or careless driving, along with the possibility of even more serious charges. A guilty plea or conviction on such a violation creates a legal finding of negligence per se under these facts, which relieves the claimants from having to prove negligence against the defendant. That is because the commission of a traffic violation that directly results in causing the auto accident and the injuries to the victims, creates a legal finding of negligence as a matter of law.

Source: fox43.com, “PSP investigating York County crash that sent 8 people to hospital“, Sean Naylor and Melissa Versak, Nov. 26, 2017