A head-on collision on Route 78 in Santa Ysabel this Tuesday led to one victim being airlifted from the scene of the accident. A 45-year-old female driving a Nissan Altima, traveling east on state route 78, crossed the center line and slammed into a BMW. The BMW then immediately caught fire. The driver of the BMW sustained life-threatening injuries and was taken by a helicopter to UCSD Medical Center. A crash like this can leave behind devastating injuries for everyone involved.

As police continued to investigate the scene, both lanes of the highway were closed. Head on collisions can be one of the most severe kinds of accidents that happen in San Diego and elsewhere. This is because the driver on the other side of the road has little reason to anticipate someone crossing that center line and therefore cannot react quickly enough to get out of the way of the oncoming vehicle.

One of the most common questions that individuals have as they approach an accident like this is whether or not it’s appropriate to move a victim’s body. This is a judgment call that can be very hard to make in the heat of the moment. Usually, it is best to wait for the authorities to get to the crash scene so that the injured party can have a medical professional assess the situation and the crash, but there are some circumstances in which an individual may feel like moving the injured victim could prevent further damage. Do this with care, as bystanders frequently don’t have the right medical training and could even expose themselves to risk.

Although airbags may deploy and other safety features like seatbelts may help to minimize injuries, frequently individuals who are hit head on by a vehicle going at full speed may sustain life-threatening injuries that make it difficult for them to return to work or move on with their life. If this has happened to you, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim.