As both vehicles entered a curve along the road, the driver of the Honda traveled into the northbound traffic lane and was struck by the dump truck, DPS says.
A man and an infant were the two occupants inside the car. Although the child was properly secured in a car seat and did not have any visible injuries, an ambulance took the child to St. Elizabeth hospital for observation.
The driver of the Honda, 29-year-old Christopher Cooksey, of Orange, was pronounced deceased at the scene. . . Man killed in Orange County collision involving dump truck
Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.
See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to be remembered, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com. Please use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form to provide us with accurate information . (Note: the map is currently not online; but we would keep the information for future updating and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)
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Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but I think that underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.
Thank you for your advocation for underride safety. I am Christophers wife, and the mother of the infant in the crash. I have read his autopsy report and was absolutely astonished at what his body went through during this tragic event. We do not know what happened that day and never will. That very morning our son had been throwing up due to bad reflux and my husband was going to bring him in to the doctor, and my only guess is my little one made a noise in the back seat and Chris looked to check on him and missed the curve. I was given his phone shortly after the crash and after opening his locked screen there was nothing pulled up, so he was not on his phone and the only other “distraction” I can think of was our baby boy making a noise that concerned him. This is a horrible thing to live through, but I know Gods plans are perfect and will continue to trust in Him. I am going to do what I can to help with this.