U.S. Army Soldier Killed in Pennsylvania Car Accident

In a tragic turn of events, a soldier in the United States Army was killed in a single-car accident while traveling through Pennsylvania to visit relatives recently.

The man, 22-year-old Irvin A. Rivera, was serving in the U.S. army and currently stationed at Fort Campbell in Tennessee. He was traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lurgan Township, Franklin County at approximately 12:15 p.m. on Friday, January 15th when the one-car crash occurred. According to reports, Rivera was headed to visit relatives in his home town of Brooklyn, New York prior to the car accident.

Rivera was driving his Toyota Camry in the eastbound lane prior to veering off the road and striking a guard rail. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and reportedly died of impact injuries. A 2-year-old girl who was secured in a car seat in the right hand back side of the vehicle was unharmed.

The accident is currently under investigation and initial statements from Pennsylvania State Trooper Richard Dechene indicated that he was not sure what caused Rivera’s vehicle to veer off the road. A driver of a tractor trailer in the vicinity is said to have witnessed part of the accident. Although it is typically assumed that the driver of the vehicle is responsible for causing a single-car accident, this is by no means always the case.

In fact, liability can be attributed to the vehicle designer or manufacturer, those responsible for road design or maintenance, or even other drivers, pedestrians, or bicyclists who may not be involved in the moment of impact, but contribute to the events. Often, defective automotive parts such as brakes, steering mechanisms, headlights, windshield wipers, tires, airbags, axles, and accelerator pedals can put unsuspecting drivers in perilous positions. Inadequate repairs of these mechanisms can also cause accidents, meaning that mechanics or auto body shops may be found liable.

In other cases, those responsible for designing or maintaining safe roadways may be negligent in their capacity. Some of the most common causes of car accidents involving negligent road maintenance or design include: inadequate guardrails, faded or altogether invisible lane markings, lack of signage, and road defects such as potholes or uneven surfaces. In these cases, the negligent party is often a government agency, which requires a specific legal process that is different from a typical personal injury or wrongful death claim.

When you find yourself facing these difficult circumstances, it is highly advisable to find an experienced Pennsylvania personal injury attorney who can assist you through every step of the legal process toward achieving just compensation. At Cohen and Riechelson, our personal injury attorneys have served as aggressive advocates for injured victims in Pennsylvania for over 40 years. When presented with a case, we dispatch our own investigative team to the accident site, exhaustively examining every detail to determine liability. It is our pleasure to offer free initial consultations, so feel free to contact our offices in Bucks County at (215) 337-4915 for additional information.

For additional information related to this case, access the following article: Tennessee man died in Pa. Turnpike crash