Three People Killed in Head-On Collision in Jefferson County, FL

JEFFERSON COUNTY, FL- Wctv.tv reports that a collision early on the morning of Sunday, April 29, 2018, killed three people in Jefferson County. The crash occurred at 6:42 a.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

The driver of a Ford Escape, Gunn Phillips, 82, was traveling the wrong direction on Highway 27 and hit another vehicle head-on. The driver of the other vehicle was Christina L. Graddy, 32. Graddy was traveling with an 8-year-old girl in her car.

All three individuals died at the scene of the accident.

According to FHP, Phillips had his safety belt on at the time of the crash. Graddy and the child were not restrained.

Head-on collisions are some of the deadliest accidents on the road. The speed of each vehicle traveling toward the other combines to make an extreme impact. Many times, drivers who are cautious and have not made any errors are caught in these accidents because they are not left with any time to avoid the crash. The largest percent of head-on collisions happen when drivers are simply traveling straight ahead. Additionally, they are more common when the weather is clear, and the roads are dry. All of this indicates that most head-on collisions are the result of avoidable human errors. People tend to let their guard down when they feel the risks are low, but this carelessness can lead to tragedies.

Distracted driving, which occurs when a person is focused on their phone, the radio, something they are eating, or anything other than the road on which they are driving, is potentially the leading cause of these terrible accidents.

Of course, one of the most important steps to take to increase your safety while traveling in a car is to fasten your safety belt. Your risk of dying in a car accident drops by 45% when you wear your seatbelt while riding in a car.