What are you supposed to do if your car stalls on the highway? If you drive long enough, it will probably happen to you at some point, and if you don’t know what to do, it could result in you or someone you love suffering a serious injury or worse.
Recently, the Sacramento Bee reported on a deadly traffic accident on I-80 involving a car stalled on the highway that was hit by a tow truck. The the force of the collision sent the tow truck into another lane. The driver of a Dodge Ram stopped to help. He turned on the emergency lights on his truck but despite that, two other cars crashed into the Ram truck. One of the cars that hit the Dodge caught on fire. Two people died and three people were injured as a result of the crashes. The tow truck driver who hit the stalled car said that the stalled vehicle did not have its lights on before he crashed into it.
Tips for Drivers If Their Car Stalls on the Highway
Per a Consumer Reports article, there are a few steps drivers can take to decrease their chances of being involved in a traffic accident if their car stalls on the highway, including:
- If your engine fails, if possible and safe, try to pull over to the side of the road.
- If you are unable to get off the road, turn on your emergency lights and remain in the vehicle and unless it becomes unsafe to stay in the vehicle for some reason.
- Keep your seat belt on while you are in the vehicle.
- Call for roadside assistance.
- Wait for help to arrive.
For more information about personal injury cases and whether or not you have a valid injury claim, please call the experienced San Jose personal injury attorneys at Needham Kepner & Fish LLP today.