Oregon Highway 205 Rollover Accident Kills Woman

Date: January 29, 2011
Location: Highway 205 South of Burns
Name: Kathleen Largent

Oregon State Police are investigating a one-car rollover crash that resulted in the death of the driver.

The crash took place on Highway 205 near milepost 25 south of Burns. A passing motorist reported the accident to police at about 7:30am. Police surmise that the driver, Kathleen Largent, age 56 of Diamond, was northbound when she lost control of her GMC Envoy because of icy road conditions. There was also a freezing fog in the area. The car rolled several times off the shoulder of the road and Largent, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from her vehicle and died at the scene.

We are saddened by the death of Ms. Largent and our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this very difficult time.

When a person tries to correct the wheel while driving, a car should skid, not roll over. It should be very difficult to make a car roll over. However, it’s an unfortunate truth that there are some models and makes of vehicles that roll over very easily. These makes and models are well known and there have been successful lawsuits against the companies who build, sell and profit from these vehicles. When a vehicle rolls over it may be entirely driver error or it may be partially driver error and partially poor design. The difference is that the driver error is to be expected. We all know that drivers sometimes make errors and sometimes a quick correction is necessary, for example, when an animal runs across the road or in poor driving conditions. A driver should be able to jerk the wheel, make a sudden maneuver around an obstacle or to correct a drift without the car flipping over and killing everyone inside it.

In addition to being more stable and less likely to roll over, a car should be designed so that if it does roll over, there is enough strength and stability in the roof that the people inside don’t get crushed. Whenever there’s a rollover crash like this one causing death it may be easy to blame the driver. But there is another very important factor. And that is the companies who are making this car who know very well that the car is dangerous but who do nothing to correct it because it would cut into their bottom line.

Many traffic crashes are difficult to explain, and when death or injury is involved, it is important to contact a qualified Portland personal injury attorney. Your lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation. We provide information on finding a good personal injury lawyer, and if you have questions after a car crash, please contact us.