A crash in Maury County on December 7 left a family grieving the loss of a young life. Kirstynn Edmiston, 9, was killed in the accident. Her younger sister, Joanna, and cousin Devyn McCandles survived the crash and are listed in serious condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the young life lost too soon.
How and why?
Sarah Kuck was driving the girls to school, traveling on New Lewisburg Highway. When she slowed down to exit, a Ford F-350 driven by 21-year-old Riley Ring rear-ended the car at high speed. Both drivers were transported to a local hospital, while the two surviving girls were airlifted to Nashville.
According to News2 ABC, “Authorities said the 21-year-old truck driver, Riley Ring, did not see the car turning and never hit his brakes. Investigators are working to determine if distracted driving or cell phone use was a factor in the crash.” All of the occupants of both vehicles were wearing seatbelts at the time.
All three girls were students at Culleoka Unit School. Their Principal, Penny Love, released a statement, saying, “The entire Culleoka School family is grieving for the loss of one of our fourth graders and praying for the other two students who have been injured in a car accident this morning. This family needs your thoughts and prayers at this time and we ask that you remember them as they deal with this tragedy.”
Helping to save lives in the future
We recently wrote about a proposed amendment to a transportation policy bill that was struck down by the House Rules Committee. The amendment would have made collision avoidance systems mandatory in commercial trucks, but could also have been applied to passenger vehicles. In fact, many newer vehicles are coming equipped with collision avoidance systems today.
The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the Department of Transportation investigate the possible benefits of collision avoidance systems and automatic braking all the way back in 1995. If our government were more proactive in adopting new technologies to keep us safer, there is a chance that this poor young girls life could have been spared.
The thoughts and prayers of all of us at Rocky McElhaney Law Firm are with the Edmiston family during this difficult holiday season. Please stay safe and alert while driving; only you can help protect your family and community on the road this holiday season.
