Elderly Woman Crashes Car in St. Albans After Losing Consciousness

July 30, 2010 - St. Albans, W. Va. - A car was wedged precariously between a building and a utility pole after a Thursday afternoon car accident involving an elderly driver.

WBOY reports that the driver of the vehicle, Rena Byrd, 87, of St. Albans, was driving on 808 B Street when she drove her car up onto a curb. The vehicle then was wedged between a building and a utility pole.

Byrd claims that she lost consciousness and did not know what had happened. She was taken to Thomas Memorial Hospital but was not seriously injured in the accident.

The car received significant damage in the crash. According to a news release from the St. Albans' Police Department, the building, a part of the Universal Health Club and Tears Physical Therapy Center, received only minimal damage. The pole too received only moderate damage.

Clarksburg car accidents involving senior drivers carry special concerns. Studies have shown that as drivers age, they may experience slower reaction times, limited mobility and additional health issues that impact their safe driving skills.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2008 West Virginia Crash Statistics show that there were 380 fatalities as a result of car accidents in West Virginia.

In an effort to raise awareness of common factors in serious and fatal car accidents in West Virginia, our firm routinely publishes news items about traffic crashes in our region.

Common West Virginia accidents include, but are not limited to:

 

• single-car crashes;
• tractor-trailer accidents;
• accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
• distracted driver crashes.

 

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