Accident Details
On Tuesday, February 2, 2016, Phyllis Scardena, 76, and her husband, who is 87, were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune after being involved in a crash with Nancy Bartley, 53. Scardena entered the intersection at Cox Cro Road, against a red light, as she traveled southbound in a 2004 Oldsmobile. She was attempting to turn left onto Cox Cro Road when Bartley’s 2008 Dodge struck the driver’s side of the vehicle. Bartley’s light was green when she entered the intersection, witnesses said. The impact of the accident caused the Scardena’s vehicle to spin around and its tires to strike the curb, causing it to roll onto the passenger side. The vehicle came to a rest in the front yard of a home located at the intersection.
Injuries Sustained
The Scardena’s had to be extricated from the vehicle by the Pleasant Plains Fire Department. Phyllis Scardena was listed in good condition at the hospital. Scardena’s husband was not wearing a seatbelt and was airlifted to the hospital with multiple injuries where he has been listed in stable condition. Scardena was issued a ticket for failure to observe a traffic signal. Bartley was treated for minor injuries by the Toms River Township and Silverton EMS units.
Red Light Accidents in New Jersey
From 2007 to 2011, there were 66 fatalities on New Jersey roads due to running red lights and nearly two-thirds of those who died were not in the vehicle that ran the red light. A study published by the National Institutes of Health found that almost four percent of older drivers failed to stop at red lights and 15 percent of those who ran lights failed to do so at ten percent or more of the lights they encountered. Many of those drivers suffered from a narrowing of the attentional visual field which is the peripheral vision where objects are detected. This may lead to a larger number of older drivers failing to see that a light is red as opposed to younger drivers. Because Phyllis Scardena is considered elderly, she may simply not have seen the red light when she entered the intersection, leading to the accident.
Although many older drivers are capable behind the wheel, there are those who struggle due to reduced vision, slower reflexes or slight confusion. If you have a loved one who is at an advanced age and you are no longer comfortable with them behind the wheel of a car, consider contacting Exclusive Taxi and Car Service to take them to and from their destinations. We offer affordable prices and our safe, courteous drivers will assist you or your loved one as much as possible. Providing an older person with the ability to run errands or visit friends will keep them active and healthier. Contact us online or give us a call today at 732-350-8294 to learn more.
Source:
Patch