A recent accident in rural Tennessee outside of Knoxville shows the dangers of not respecting the right of way can have disastrous consequences. The tragic accident took the life of a 27-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter.

The accident happened in a small town called Etowah, which is about 60 miles southwest of Knoxville. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the woman turned her small Saturn onto U.S. Route 411 into the path of a construction truck. Initial reports indicated that two children perished in the fatal car accident.

The Saturn had three other passengers, a 28-year-old man, a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy. Those three passengers had to be flown to a hospital in Knoxville, where their further conditions are unknown.

The 49-year-old truck driver was not injured in the accident. Police have not filed any charges. Presumably their investigation is ongoing, but it appears that the car pulled out in front of the truck on U.S. 411, meaning the Saturn driver was at fault. One could wonder whether the Saturn driver saw the truck, but the accident happened in the afternoon, meaning it was probably hard to not see the truck. One could understand if it was dark and the truck did not have its headlights on.

Many of the passengers in the car had the same last name as the driver, but the 8-year-old boy did not. If that child did not belong to the family, then the boy’s family may consider suing the other family for damages relating to the accident.

Source: WRCB, “McMinn County accident leaves mom and child dead,” Feb. 21, 2013