A fatal rollover crash on Highway 146 in Mont Belvieu seriously injured five people and killed a sixth earlier this week. Initial reports from the crash scene noted that there were several children involved in the fatal rollover crash, but no details were released as to how many or the extent of their injuries.
The vehicle involved was a Ford Expedition SUV. The driver hit a culvert before sending the SUV into an end-over-end roll, completing six revolutions before coming to a stop. The victims of the SUV rollover crash were taken by LifeFlight to nearby hospitals for treatment.
There was no indication on the year of the Ford Expedition involved in the fatal rollover crash. The popular SUV has been plagued by safety defects that have made injuries more likely in the event of a rollover crash, including:
- Defective door latches. Rather than remaining tightly closed, the doors of some model years of the Ford Expedition have been shown to come open during a roll, increasing the chances that a passenger will be thrown from the vehicle.
- Substitution of tempered glass for laminated safety glass. Model years with tempered side glass have shattered during a rollover accident, allowing passengers to hit the ground or be ejected during a wreck.
- Defective seat belts. The latches on seatbelts may fail or the retraction mechanism may not engage properly to hold a person safely during a rollover.
In addition to these defective parts, the high center of gravity on the Ford Expedition makes it more prone to roll than vehicles whose weight is more evenly distributed or distributed nearer to the ground.
Source: CBS Local Houston, “Report: One Person Killed; Several Injured In Mont Belvieu,” July 30, 2013