Marine Saves Woman in Rollover Crash
A U.S. Marine saved the life of a woman severely injured in a rollover collision in Escondido in late September. Kyndra Luhr’s car collided with another vehicle and rolled over several times on Interstate 15. U.S. Marine Corporal Alexandra Nowak and another driver removed the windshield to rescue Luhr from the car and applied a tourniquet to her arm, which was injured and bleeding profusely.
Corporal Nowak had learned tourniquet procedure as part of her combat training and was carrying relevant supplies in her vehicle.
Luhr’s two children, a nine-month-old baby boy, and a four-year-old daughter were traveling with her and a friend in the car. All were unhurt.
Luhr’s grandfather thanked the two good Samaritans for saving his daughter’s life.
Unfortunately, part of her arm had to be removed due to the accident.
Luhr is without insurance to pay medical bills. A new prosthetic arm will likely cost as much as $200,000. The family has started a GoFundMe page and is hosting fundraisers locally, in the Alpine area.
Rollovers Can Be Deadly
News reports about this accident have focused on the courageous and timely actions that saved the victim’s life. There is no mention of how the collision and rollover occurred.
Rollovers are some of the most deadly accidents on the road, constituting nearly nine percent of fatal crashes and resulting in roughly 3,000 deaths per year.
Some vehicles, such as high trucks and SUVs, are more susceptible to rollovers because their center of gravity is higher and they can tip more easily.
However, any car can roll over. It generally occurs because a car traveling at high speed encounters something that tips it, such as a deep pothole. Rollovers may also result when vehicles swerve up onto a shoulder or curb. Being clipped by another vehicle can also cause a rollover because the impact can unbalance the car. Another common cause is going around a turn at a high speed, especially if the car’s angle causes it to be on two wheels for a moment.
Excessive speed can exacerbate the possibility of a rollover.
Assessing Liability in a Rollover
Who is at fault in a rollover accident? It depends on the reason the rollover occurred. We do not have information regarding who might have been at fault in this collision, but some general comments can be made.
Generally, drivers should obey traffic laws, drive safely, maintain their cars in good working order, and pay attention to other vehicles and road conditions. If they don’t, and their actions or failures to act cause an accident, they can be held responsible for resulting losses and injuries.
Let a Southern California Car Accident Attorney Help
Rollovers are serious accidents that can cause lasting pain and harm. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a rollover, or any other car accident, in Los Angeles, we can help.
The Ellis Law Firm has been successfully investigating and litigating southern California car accidents for more than 20 years. We win 99% of the cases we take on and have recovered over $350 million for our personal injury clients.
We offer an initial free consultation with an experienced and compassionate LA car accident attorney to discuss your case. Call us today!
Additional Resources:
- Coronado, Lauren. US Marine, Driver Credited for Saving Woman’s Life in Crash. NBC Los Angeles. October 7, 2019. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california/Marine-Saves-Woman-Car-Crash-Prosthetic-Arm-Fundraiser-562391871.html
- Insurance Information Institute. Facts + Statistics: Highway Safety. https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-highway-safety.