19-year-old Austin Neil was ejected from his truck and died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash in Bourg.
According to police reports, Neil was driving north on Lower Country Drive around 6 p.m. on Saturday when he failed to negotiate a right curve and went off the side of the road. Neil’s truck hit a guardrail before traveling across the roadway and rolling several times.
Neil was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident. Three passengers, each of whom was not wearing seatbelts, were injured during the crash.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, in 2010, seven teens between 16 and 19 years of age died every day from motor vehicle accident injuries. During this time, the death rate for male drivers was almost two times that of female drivers.
Additionally, the presence of teen passengers increases the risk of a teen being involved in an accident; the more passengers there are in the vehicle, the higher the risk.
Unfortunately, teens are also more likely to behave recklessly behind the wheel. Only about 80 percent of teens wear their seatbelts; the national average is 86 percent. About 56 percent of teen drivers under 20 years old involved in a fatal accident were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a teen driving accident, contact a personal injury lawyer at Simien & Simien. We can help you determine what your legal rights are and if you are entitled to file a claim for damages.
To schedule a free review of your claim, call our firm at (800) 374-8422 or fill out the Free Case Evaluation form on this page.
