Accident in Kings County kills young woman

A 21-year-old woman died in a daylight accident in rural Kings County.

According to the state Highway Patrol, the woman was coming out of a driveway. As she came out, a pickup truck slammed into the driver’s side of her vehicle.

The woman was transported from the scene of the accident  to a Hanford hospital but later died. Her passenger had to be taken by helicopter to another hospital in a larger community.

The driver of the pickup appeared not to have suffered serious physical injuries. He was treated at the scene of the accident.

An officer with the Highway Patrol said that they had found no evidence of drugs or alcohol being involved in this accident. They did, not however, report any citations or assign responsibility.

Sadly, this is the second tragic incident on the same rural road. Earlier this summer, a driver ran through a stop sign and struck another vehicle, killing a 29-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the vehicle that got hit.

Motorists need to exercise caution on rural roads

While there’s less traffic, rural roads are dangerous, perhaps even more dangerous than city streets, for any other reasons.

They may not be as well-lit or as well-maintained. Intersections may be marked with only a stop sign, and drivers who are not paying attention could easily miss this.

It may be tempting to speed or zone out while driving on these roads. Also, even better than average drivers may not pay attention for blind intersections and driveways where it is hard to see a vehicle pulling out.

After a serious or fatal accident on a rural road, victims may have legal options for pursuing compensation against those responsible for the loss.