Blog Post

Investigators Look into Role of Pontiac in Fatal Car Crash


April 22, 2008
Topic: Auto Accidents

Questions are being asked about the accident in Inver Grove Heights in Minnesota that killed 4-year-old Tamaya Philips and Brittany Carlson. Brittany's 2- year-old son, Brandon, was also injured in the accident and remains hospitalized and in a coma.

The accident, which took place last Thursday, involved a Saturn sedan that Brittany was driving and another car, a Pontiac Grand Prix that crossed the median. Brittany was driving with her two children and the two children of her best friend Nicole. She was heading south when the Pontiac Grand Prix, driven by 18-year-old Brittany Krueger of Rosemont, crossed the median and struck the Saturn.

Brittany Carlson was trapped in her seat and died in the car before she could be extricated. Tamaya Philips was taken to hospital, where she died. Brandon was rushed to University of Minnesota's Children's Hospital, where he is still being treated for severe injuries. The other two children who were involved in the crash are reported to be unhurt.

Investigators are now trying to piece together why the Pontiac Grand Prix crossed the median. It's still too early to say what exactly happened, they say. Meanwhile, relatives of both families want answers of their own.

There must be more to the Pontiac Grand Prix connection than meets the eye. The coming days will tell us whether there were drugs or alcohol involved, or if excessive speed caused the driver of the Pontiac to lose control. This tragic accident could have also been cause by a car defect, or a dangerous segment of road.

While news stories and reports on the accident seem to focus on the fact that lack of and proper use of restraints were responsible for the deaths and serious injuries of the victims in this accident, it is important to remember that if there was no crash, there would have been no injuries or fatalities. Using seat belts effectively and consistently is always important when in a car, but when you are driving safely on your side of the road and a car crosses the median and hits you head-on, seat belts can only do so much to save your life. Maybe proper use of seat belts would have helped these two families, or maybe not. What we do know is that if the other car did not end up on the wrong side of the road, Tamaya and Brittany would still be alive. There are no maybes in that part of the equation.

Investigators need to stop blaming the victims here, and get on the case of why the driver steered her car through the median, causing this accident. The answer to this tragedy is in piecing together and determining where the fault lies.

If you have been injured in a car accident, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury lawyer. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.