Half of all fatalities in rollover crashes are the result of victims being ejected from the vehicle during the crash. Seatbelt use greatly decreases the chances of an ejection, with twenty percent of ejections occurring to those belted in and occurring in less than 1% of crashes where the person was wearing a seatbelt. The type of vehicle is also a factor in the chances of ejection. Light trucks, SUVs, and vans seem to have a higher chance of ejection of the passenger than cars. Rollover severity also plays a part, the more times a car rolls, the higher a chance for ejection.
WCTV reports on a DUI accident where three teens were ejected from the vehicle.
The single-vehicle accident occurred in Columbia County on Tuesday morning just after 10 a.m. according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
According to the crash report, 40-year-old Shameaka Burnett, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was driving west on I-10. Near mile marker 294, Burnett lost control of the vehicle and traveled into the median. The vehicle overturned multiple times before coming to a rest in the roadway.
Three passengers, all teenagers, were ejected from the vehicle as it overturned. None were wearing seatbelts.
18-year-old Ladaizjhia Burnett suffered from only minor injuries and was taken to the hospital. An unnamed 16-year-old boy suffered from critical injuries and was taken to UF Health Shands Hospital. The third passenger, a 15-year-old female, was seriously injured.
Shameaka Burnett, who was wearing a seatbelt, suffered from only minor injuries. The Florida Highway Patrol cited Burnett for DUI causing serious bodily injury and careless driving.