LUBBOCK COUNTY, Texas — Kodi Holt, 7, tragically died in a rollover crash Nov. 29 in Lubbock, on Woodrow Road near the Frankford Avenue intersection.
The young girl was a passenger in a Chevrolet pickup that crashed at about 9:45 a.m., according to a local news report. Driven by Kodi's mother, 33-year-old Ashley Nicole Holt, the pickup was eastbound on Woodrow Road when it left the roadway for unknown reasons, entered the south barrow ditch, swerved, and rolled.
Authorities pronounced Kodi deceased at the scene of the accident. Emergency personnel transported Holt and her other daughter, a 10-year-old, to Convent Medical Center with serious injuries.
Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety said Holt and the 10-year-old were wearing seat belts, and the 7-year-old girl who lost her life was in a child safety seat when the accident occurred.
Authorities have not released any additional information about factors that may have contributed to the accident, nor any updates on the condition of the surviving occupants.
Commentary on the fatal rollover accident in Lubbock County, Texas
I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic rollover crash that claimed the life of a 7-year-old girl and seriously injured her mother and sister. Automobile fatalities are terrible under any circumstances, but when the life of a young child is taken, they are even more heart wrenching. I extend my deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the child, and I pray for a complete and speedy recovery for the injured.
According to the information released by authorities, the Chevrolet pickup left the roadway, hit a ditch, and rolled, resulting in the fatality and passenger injuries. A thorough investigation must be conducted to determine proximate or actual cause of the crash, which authorities have not released details about.
During my 30-year practice as a personal injury attorney, I have studied rollover crashes extensively and crusaded to hold automakers responsible for safety flaws inherent in their vehicle designs that result in tragic deaths like this one.
Although rollover crashes among passenger cars have declined in recent years, the overall number of rollover crashes has increased due to the rapid rise in rollovers among light trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The study reports some additional disheartening facts. Most fatal rollover crashes are single-vehicle accidents, and rollover crashes are more likely to result in fatalities than other types of accidents. Light trucks and SUVs are also more likely to roll in an accident than other types of vehicles.
To put it simply, the reason light trucks and SUVs are more likely to roll in a crash is because the wheelbase is often too narrow compared to the vehicle’s height, giving it a high center of gravity.
Another design flaw that contributes to fatalities in rollover crashes is inadequate roof strength-to-weight ratios, which forecast the likelihood of a vehicle’s roof collapsing during a rollover. Roof strength at minimum should be two times that of the vehicle’s weight to prevent a roof crushing in on occupants.
A thorough investigation of the vehicle involved in this accident must be conducted to determine whether manufacturer flaw or defect contributed to this tragic death.
As a concerned citizen and veteran personal injury attorney, I will continue to do what I can to raise public awareness about auto design defects that have added to the epidemic of fatal rollover crashes in recent years. Furthermore, I will continue to pressure automobile manufacturers to improve safety standards for all vehicles.
Disclaimer: All information in this post was compiled from public sources or constitutes the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if you identify any false or misleading information.
