Wrong-Way Accidents - Complete Recap of All July 2009 Collisions

Steve Lombardi

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Wrong-way drivers are causing deaths in America’s interstate highway system all across the United States. Wrong-way collisions can have several causes and there are things we can do to educate ourselves from being involved in one. With two vehicles traveling towards one another at 70 mph death is almost certain. So what can you do to avoid being in one?

For several months I’ve collected news items on wrong-way collisions and have analyzed where, when and how they occurred. There have been so many that I can only cover the month of July for 2009 and that is enough to provide us with 70 separate wrong-way collisions from hundreds of news stories. From these news reported collisions that here are the general causes and how we can avoid being one of those who die from a wrong-way driver coming towards us at 50 to 70 mph.

I became interested in this subject back in November 2008 when I wrote, Interstate Highway Safety: Part I - Ghost drivers continue to be a problem on U.S. Interstate Highways and followed up with Interstate Highway Safety - Ghost Drivers – Part II. Since then other InjuryBoard members have written and the discussion has become varied and lively. So do a search on the InjuryBoard and see what the lawyer in your state has said about wrong-way drivers or “ghost riders”.

Wrong Way Drivers Causing A Rash of Traffic Fatalities In Dallas And Austin, June 22, 2009, Brooks Schuelke

Wrong-way Drivers, June 2, 2009, Beth Janicek.

Merchants of Interstate Death or Injury: Wrong Way Drivers-Usually Drunk or Drugged, June 22, 2009, Rick Shapiro.

What are the causes of wrong-way drivers, aka “ghost riders”?

1. Alcohol or drug related driver confusion.

2. Old age and confusion.

3. Mental defect or disease.

4. Purposeful acts including attempts to commit suicide and criminals attempting to elude law enforcement officers.

5. Inexperience.

6. Signage confusion and road design. Broad medians can cause sight confusion with situational awareness.

7. GPS providing incorrect, inaccurate or confusing information.

What should you do if you see a wrong-way driver?

1. Get to the shoulder and stop.

2. If you can’t get to the shoulder, slow down and attempt to safely stop your vehicle.

3. Sound your horn.

4. Put on your lights.

5. Call 9-1-1.

6. Before getting in the car wear your seat belts.

7. Drive in the right hand lane of travel on the Interstate.

8. When passing or coming to the crest of a hill look ahead for a wrong-way driver making sure the lane is clear.

9. Assume when in the left hand lane of a divided highway that you may come upon a wrong-way driver.

10. When driving on a divided highway stay vigilant and pay attention to what is ahead of you. Avoid allowing distractions to take your attention off the road ahead.

How can drivers avoid wrong-way driving?

1. Don’t drive drunk.

2. When coming to a divided highway come to a complete stop, look at and read the signs, making sure you know which way to go.

3. Don’t allow vehicles to the rear to rush you.

4. Stay off the telephone when driving.

5. Don’t allow distractions to interfere with being vigilant about your driving.

6. If you’re a young driver, don’t drive when the other passengers are a distraction.

7. If you’re an elderly driver, get evaluated once a year to see if your senses and skill level allow you to safely drive. Don’t be so stubborn about giving up your driver’s license that you ignore the signs of perception difficulties. Invest in and use a GPS.

What else needs to happen to reduce wrong-way collisions?

1. States could identify the locations of repeated wrong-way entry points. Those points could be redesigned including tire puncture equipment such as we see in use at most parking ramps.

2. The Court’s must get very tough on drunk drivers and those who cause collisions from being on cell phones (talking or texting); more than they already have been.

3. The DOT should begin an education campaign for drivers to recognize and avoid wrong-way drivers.

4. The DOT should begin an education campaign to instruct drivers what to do when a wrong-way driver approaches.

5. States should further study wrong-way avoidance road and sign designs.

6. State DOT’s should consider a different middle line design with hash marks bent in the direction of travel and against the opposing direction.

7. Juries in civil actions need to send a clear message to offenders with large punitive damage awards.

8. The DOT needs to evaluate older drivers annually for visual and mental awareness; taking away driving privileges where there is risk.

9. Lawyers need to plead punitive damages in wrong-way collisions.

10. Victims need to be educated on what to do when they are involved in a wrong-way collision.

11. Witnesses of wrong-way collisions need to get involved with identifying themselves to police officers investigating a wrong-way collision. Those witnesses may have very valuable information to helping identify the entry points, causes and preventive measures.

12. DOT accident forms need to be amended to allow the collection of information to identify characteristics associated with causing wrong-way entry points, times when wrong-way collisions are most likely to occur and driver characteristics of those likely to drive the wrong-way. Children and friends of older drivers need to get involved with identifying those likely wrong-way drivers.

13. States should consider a radio system that would allow public service interruptions, like what is done on television when a weather emergency is eminent. It wouldn’t be perfect (not all radios are on) but something is perhaps better than nothing.

This week I want to cover wrong-way collisions. I've collected as many news items on wrong-way collisions as were available during the last 3 or 4 months. My intent was to report on all for a six-month period, but in going through them I wrote up only July's since there so many to handle and the theme simply keeps repeating itself. This week I’ll start off with reporting on actual wrong-way collisions or near collisions and then will end the week with what I see as the causes, what to do to avoid a wrong-way collisions and some suggestions as to where this all needs to go to assist law enforcement and the state DOT’s to reduce the number of wrong-way collisions.

Wrong-way collisions are frightening to think about simply because there are so many deaths associate with being involved in one. Also, considering you have two vehicles, or more, traveling in opposite directions towards each other at 70 M.P.H. the forces generated on impact are tremendous and almost certain death. But we do have to examine them and educate ourselves about how to recognize and to avoid this near-certain death car-truck-motorcycle-SUV-van crash.

So come join us on the InjuryBoard, the Des Moines market for a week of wrong-way collisions.

Wrong-way Collisions Blog – Brooks Schuelke, Wrong Way Wrecks Are Still A Problem – This recent post is a good starting point because it refers back to other posts on this subject, listing 6 posts for you to review.

Dallas, Texas – July 2009 – Fault & Prevention Discussion - The Transportation Blog by reporter Michael Lindenberger suggests lowering the signs for those going the wrong way. He says with wrong-way drivers it’s all about drunk drivers. I don’t agree with him.

Providence, Rhode Island – July 2009 – Inner City - No Injury – Age of driver unknown - The Providence Journal has Wrong-way driver abandons junker at Waterplace Park; reporting a joy ride was driven the wrong-way inside a pedestrian tunnel. No one killed or injured. Here is a description of the route the car thief took for his joy ride the wrong-way:

At the wheel of a clunker at 2 a.m., a motorist sped the car up over the curb outside the tony condo building and drove through the short pedestrian tunnel under the building, then plunged down two flights of stairs to the railing around Waterplace Park, police Lt. Michael J. Figueiredo said. With nowhere to go but into the water, the driver banked a sharp left, drove over the pedestrian walkway over the river and tried, without success, to take a right onto the handicapped ramp at the Memorial Boulevard end.

So, the motorist backed up, parked outside the condo building's plate-glass windows, and ran off -- leaving behind a puzzle: How to get the battered Nissan back out.

Vancouver - Canada – July 2009 - Hwy 99 – Elderly female – 85-year-old – death and serious injuries - southbound in northbound lanes of Highway 99 – 5:38 PM - Two collisions, the first was one car attempting to avoid colliding with the wrong-way driver and the second was a head-on crash with the wrong-way driver. Driver going wrong way on Highway 99 dies + Confused 85-year-old dies after causing two accidents driving the wrong way on Highway 99.

Dallas, Texas – July 2009 – Dallas North Tollway – June 1, 2009 you can listen to the 9-1-1 call about wrong-way driver on the Dallas North Tollway. Age of driver is 28 years-old, female; head-on collision resulted in killing both drivers. On June 21, 2009 same turnpike a 27 year old male drove head on into another car injuring himself and two other women.

Listen to frantic 911 calls warning of wrong-way drivers on Dallas North Tollway.

June 1, 2009 911 Call transcript link.

June 21, 2009 911 call transcript link.

Dallas, Texas – July 2009 – NTTA to use flashing lights to warn drivers when they are heading the wrong direction.

“New reflective buttons, laid out in the shape of arrows, are being put on lanes at each of the 47 exit ramps on the tollway, North Texas Tollway Authority officials said Tuesday. Headlights from a vehicle headed the wrong way on an exit ramp will make the arrows pointing at the driver glow red.

NTTA has also installed 25 new warning signs, bringing the total number of "wrong way" or "do not enter" signs to 215. By comparison, just three people died in 28 wrong-way crashes reported by the Texas Department of Public Safety between 2003 and 2008. At least 18 involved alcohol or drugs, and alcohol has been a factor in three of the five crashes this year. The other two are still under investigation.

"It's a national and international problem," said Allen Clemson, NTTA executive director. "We're not sure it's ever going to go away."

NTTA revs up effort to warn wrong-way drivers on Dallas North Tollway

Fulton, NY – July 2009 – I-481 – Friday night, 60-year-old male – south direction in northbound lanes. Three deaths. Driver in wrong-way crash entered highway in Fulton

by Sarah Moses / The Post-Standard , Tuesday July 14, 2009, 8:22 PM

In addition the NTTA is considering three other changes to avoid WWD’s.

The NTTA is considering:

• Installing sensors in pavement that would detect a vehicle headed in the wrong direction so law enforcement could be alerted more quickly.

• Using electronic signs to send messages that would alert motorists that a wrong-way driver is headed their way.

• Lowering "do not enter" signs on exit ramps to make them easier to see.

Tags: Interstate safety, semi-truck, wrong-way collisions, ghost riders, Iowa, I-80, I-35, I-235, I-29, I90, I-5, I-680, I-370, I-380

Twin Cities, Minnesota – July 2009 – 49, y.o. female, OWI – BAC .33 legal is .08. Wrong-way driver on McAndrews Road in Burnside, MN. Slight injuries to both drivers, the story is covered by Pioneer Press.

Baldwinsville, NY – July 2009 – Route 481 – three deaths. A 60 yo male driver driving south in the northbound lanes. Victims were the other driver, age 27 and the at-fault driver’s passenger, 82-year old female.

“State Police released more details Monday on Friday night's crash. Troopers say witnesses reported seeing 60-year-old Gary Foster of Syracuse enter the highway's northbound lanes in Fulton and drive several miles south before colliding with another car driven by Reed. Foster and 82-year-old Jacqueline Grove, a passenger in his car, both died in the accident.”

Scottsdale, Arizona – July 2009 – 36-year-old woman left driveway the wrong-way on Indian School Road resulting in a head-on collision injuring all four people. Charged with DUI/OWI. Drunk Driver Causes Wrong-Way Crash. 11:10 A.M.

Asheville, South Carolina – July 2009 – Good luck figuring this one out. Asheville Police have charged a man after initially charging another man with the same crime.

“Police have charged 37-year old Jimmy Eugene Jordan, of Asheville, and charged him with reckless driving to endanger, speeding, fleeing to elude arrest, driving while license revoked and assault with a deadly weapon on a government official. According to a spokesperson for the Asheville Police Department, due to information given to them by 36-year old Nicole Leah Thompson-Dockery, of Candler, they had charged 43-year old Craig Ross Griffin, of Leicester, with driving the wrong way down a one-way street on July 16 and nearly striking an officer conducting traffic enforcement.

The spokesperson says that Thompson-Dockery, who wanted for Parole and Probations violations in Mecklenburg County, was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the incident. Officials say she intentionally misled officers and gave them Griffin’s name in order to get him in trouble with police and subsequently Jordan was identified as the driver of the vehicle.

Police are currently seeking Jordan. If anyone has any information as to his whereabouts they are asked to call Asheville Police at (828) 252-1110 or Crime Stoppers at (828) 255-5050.”

Delta, Canada – July 2009 - Highway 99 in Delta, 5:30 PM rush hour, Tuesday, five vehicles, one fatality, traveling southbound in the northbound lanes; a three car collision was caused when a driver attempted to avoid colliding with the wrong-way vehicle. The wrong-way driver was an 81-year-old female who was killed.

Syracuse, NY – July 2009 – Three people died, wrong-way driver on Route 481, 60-year-old male. The at-fault driver had an 82-year-old passenger who also didn’t realize they were traveling the wrong way. The driver of the car they struck was 27-years-old and died in the collision. City of Fulton, New York – July 2009 – Route 481 is the roadway that a driver drove the wrong-way for over 17 miles speeding along before crashing with another vehicle. The 60-year-old driver was driving south in the northbound lanes of travel. The police received 16 emergency calls about this car that was going the wrong-way while Oswego County received 23 phone calls. Channel 9 WSYR also covered this story and has video, both edited and raw footage available for viewing.

Chiriaco Summit, California – July 2009 - I-10, 2:05 A.M., 90-year-old driver and his wife passenger escaped serious injury when their pickup truck driving westbound in the eastbound slow lane collided head-on with a semi-truck. The Ford pickup hit the semi-truck head-on even though the semi driven by a Missouri man swerved towards the fast lane in an attempt to avoid the collision sideswiped a van and ended up in the median.

Canada – Highway 99 – July 2009 - entered from highway 10 – heading southbound on the northbound freeway lanes – 84-year-old woman – the only fatality was the wrong-way driver; all others were injured but not severely – one crash occurred on the other side of the highway when a driver attempting to avoid the wrong-way driver crossed the median striking oncoming motorists. Highway closed for six hours. Speed was 100 km/hr.

Spring Hill, Florida – July 2009 - Wrong-way driver on Commercial Way. Driver was suspected of Dui but blew a negative breath test. The 28-year-old driver’s mother indicated she was probably on either prescription drugs or methamphetamines.

Saskatchewan, Canada – July 2009 - A $2,500 fine was issue to a man who had caused a collision when driving the wrong way while driving under the influence.

“Court heard two women travelling (sic) southbound on Ring Road between Victoria and Arcola avenues were shocked to suddenly see a truck heading right for them. Witnesses described something between a head-on collision and a side swipe as the two vehicles connected. They estimated the offending vehicle was travelling (sic) at highway speed or somewhat over at the time of impact.”

Los Angeles, California – July 2009 - Stolen vehicle driving wrong-way on La Cienega Bouldevard. Male driving a stolen Lexus SUV.

Indianapolis, Indiana – July 2009 – I-74, eastbound driver in westbound lanes of travel, 59-year-old female driver struck the rear duals then went airborne and struck another semi-truck head-on. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She was driving an SUV although the news reports don’t’ say what make and model.

Fredericton, Canada - December 2007 - A 61-year-old woman drove the wrong-way on a divided highway named Vanier Highway, the other head-on crash victim died. The wrong-way driver suffered a broken ankle but learned the person who died was a friend. The wrong-way driver was charged criminally and the trial testimony along with expert witness testimony is reported in the Daily Gleaner. Factors contributing include no signage of wrong-way entry, a sign that was leaning over and snow banks along the road making pulling over impossible.

“Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Patrick Hurley, he testified that at the time of the accident, there was no signage along the Kimble Drive

off-ramp warning motorists who might be travelling the wrong way down that access point to the highway.

He also said a photo he took showed that the median sign at that Kimble Drive

exit, indicating which side of the median drivers should remain on, was crooked and leaning left.

Conversely, there was a sign with a Do Not Enter symbol at the Liverpool Street

ramp, he said, and since the accident, signage has been added to the Kimble Drive

ramp to warn motorists about travelling the wrong way.

Hurley also questioned several witnesses about the lack of room to pull over on the Vanier Highway

on Dec. 21, 2007.

He suggested that snowbanks along the shoulder made it impossible to pull over and that the area by the median wasn't wide enough for a car.

While Wayne Christie agreed with those suggestions, others witnesses didn't, indicating there was just enough room by the median to pull over in some areas.”

Newport, Michigan – July 2009 - I-275 in Monroe County at 4:30 PM about 28 miles southwest of Detroit. No further details given by

Monroeville, PA – July 2009 – 9:20 A.M. - Pennsylvania Turnpike, heading west in the eastbound lane of traffic. She was 36-years-old and had a 2 ½ year old son in a car seat that survived suffering only a cut above his right eye. She was a nurse and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer semi truck. She had to have been driving the wrong-way for at least 7 miles. It appears she swerved into the right lane to avoid an oncoming semi and struck another semi head-on. Toxicology reports were not available. Inside the car was a toll-ticket and the police are attempting to determine exactly what if anything this can tell us. The news report from Channel 4 News indicated she was facing two charges of driving while under the influence from previous incidents. The video report is very good. See The Pittsburgh Channel with ABC. What is probably more interesting is doing a video search of this site produces more than 20 videos of wrong-way driver reports.

Video: Watch Marcie Cipriani's Report
Slideshow: Photos Of Turnpike Crash

Coos Bay, Oregon – July 2009 – Most wrong-way driving is accidental, but occasionally your run into a story where it was purposefully done. This is one of those news stories. This one involves a masked man on a four-wheeler ATV traveling the wrong-way on a one way street attempting and then succeeding to allude law enforcement.

Clifton, New Jersey – July 2009 – Route 21 in Clifton around 5:00 PM heading south on a northbound lane causing a four-car collision in which five people were hurt, three seriously.

Mexico – June 2008 – Minutes after a bike race began just across the border from Brownsville, Texas a man allegedly drunk drove the wrong-way on a roadway then fell asleep at the wheel careening into the pack of riders. The Daily Telegraph published a photograph of the incident with bikes and riders flying up above the car. The man was 37-years-old. Here is a blog titled the Brooklynian that discussed Wrong way in bike lane.

Dallas, Texas - July 2009 – Letter to the Editor “Nothing will work” states that putting more signs up will not help stop wrong-way drivers due in part to drunk drivers being totally unaware they are the one’s going the wrong way and being unable to read a sign. Interesting point the author is making.

Kingsport, Tennessee- Driving the wrong-way on Stone Drive leads to drunk driving and drug charges. The incident is reported to have happened at around 1:35 a.m. on a Saturday.

Green Bay, Wisconsin - July 2009 – Main Street driver just before 1:00 a.m. crashed head-on into another car. Alcohol was involved.

Chicago, Illinois – July 2009 – Reported on a lawyer’s blog, I-55 about 6:30 a.m. the driver was 25-years old charged with DUI and driving the wrong way on an Interstate highway. In another report of this wrong-way incident on Stevenson Expressway the reporter has it the car entered the wrong-way using the incorrect entrance ramp but doesn’t say which exit ramp.

Wrong-way avoidance helpful suggestion – July 2009 - While it won’t help with drunk drivers or drugged drivers, the elderly and those unfamiliar with their surroundings may find help with using a GPS device that warns about wrong-way turns. These systems run from $60 to $2,000. The news story can be found at the Press-Enterprise from California.

Santa Fe, New Mexico – June 2009 - A wrong-way driver crashed into a car loaded with teenagers killing four of them. The teen driver may also have been driving illegally as the driver had a provisional driver’s license that prohibits driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m. or carrying more than one passenger. The collision occurred after midnight. The police stated the BAC was 0.16, more than twice the limit in New Mexico. The 28-year-old driver was later held on $3 million bond. One of the 16-year-old passengers was listed in critical condition. The teen driver attempted to swerve away from the wrong-way driver but was hit head-on.

Croatia – As reported by the Croatian Times a man turned his car around on a four-lane divided highway and began driving the wrong way. Then realizing he was driving the wrong way he performed another u-turn and started driving in the right direction. Which leads to the question of what should a driver do when they realize they are driving the wrong-way. While this one occurred on July 10, 2009 the Times reports that a previous wrong-way accident killed two people and severely injuring two others occurred on June 22. The driver in the July incident apparently got away safely and before officers could locate him.

Glasgow, Scotland - United Kingdom – July 2009 - A 78 year old driver received a life-time ban from being able to drive when he drove the wrong-way on the M-77. He was driving south in the northbound lanes. The report indicates an alcohol limit of more than twice the allowable limit was detected. Apparently in the UK they measure BAC by “microgrammes” of alcohol. This report is 82 “microgrammes” of alcohol and the legal limit is noted to be 35. Report by The Herald.

Petersborough City, United Kingdom – July 2009 – Councillor’s wife seriously injured after driving the wrong-way driving a Ford Escort struck another car head-on. The report indicates that alcohol was involved and the driver was despondent; meaning it may have been intentional.

Charlotte, North Carolina – July 2009 - Two people died on U.S. Highway 74 involving a wrong-way and fiery crash involving a Ford Explorer driving westbound in the eastbound lanes. Three people were killed. The wrong-way driver was reported to be a 52-year-old man from Charlotte and the other driver a 58-year-old man from Georgia. The crash occurred as each were cresting a hill, which should tell you something about how to avoid having this occur to you. Both were driving at 55-mph.

InjuryBoard – Hawaii – July 10, 2009 by Wayne Parsons – Discusses and provides a link to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the number of deaths from “wrong-way” drivers.

Fort Wayne, Indiana – July 2009 - a 70-year-old man drove from the across the median an into the westbound lanes of traffic, continued for about a tenth of a mile against traffic then suddenly veered off the road into a pole where he suffered head trauma and then soon after died. The man was a diabetic but there is no report about whether or not this may have contributed to the accident. The roadway is U.S. Highway 30 in Whitley County, Indiana.

Aurora, Ohio – July 2009 – The Aurora Advocate reports on a wrong-way collision on Interstate 480 in Brooklyn Heights. The 36-year-old wrong-way driver allegedly drove up the westbound exit ramp from I-480. The collision occurred at around 5:00 a.m. According to the story the wrong-way driver was charged with vehicular homicide.

Belfast, Maine – July 2009 – Wrong-way driver involving two-car crash. I was unable to access the story.

Bellingham, Washington – July 2009 – Drugs and alcohol are alleged to be involved by the State Patrol. This is an I-5 Interstate collision with the offending driver driving north in the southbound lanes on a Saturday night causing his own fatality. The driver was 22-years old.

Waco, Texas – July 2009 –Wrong-way teen rider of a bike on a one-way street was struck as he attempted to cross an intersection. In this instance it appears the driver of the van probably didn’t expect to see any vehicle or bicycle from the direction the 13-year-old boy was coming from; which should tell you something about riding bicycles in the wrong direction on the roadway. If you do so you take a huge chance and should be hyper-vigilant for those drivers not expecting to see you coming from that direction.

Albuquerque, New Mexico – From the Los Angeles Times this story about New Mexico requiring an ignition interlock device for all convicted drunk drivers. They report several interesting statistics, like New Mexico led the nation in alcohol-related crash rates for years and that there are more than 1.4 million people convicted each year for drunk driving that take the lives of over 4,000 people annually. Here is what it took for the New Mexico legislature to act.

“The statewide backlash against DWI took off in 1992, when a drunk driver going the wrong way on Interstate 40 crashed into a car carrying a family on Christmas Eve, killing a mother and her three young girls.

The ensuing outrage spurred lawmakers to lower the blood-alcohol level (from 0.1 to 0.08), shutter the state's drive-through liquor windows, and mandate jail time for repeat drunk drivers.”

Milwaukee, Wisconsin – July 2009 – I-94, northbound in the southbound lanes, struck another car and the driver of the wrong-way car was arrested for operating while intoxicated. The wrong-way car had a passenger, but there is not report on her sobriety. The time was about 3:00 A.M. as reported by TMJ-TV-4. There have video of the extrication.

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/49972752.html?video=pop&t=a&bctid=CLIP_ID_88694

Shropshire, England – July 2009 – M-54, wrong-way driver noted to be an elderly man, but no age was given.

Columbus, Ohio - I-270 wrong-way driver strikes two other vehicles early on a Saturday morning, about 1:25 A.M.

Madrid, Spain – July 2009 – A 40-year-old man died as a result of a wrong-way driver hitting him head-on on the M-50 at about 5:30 pm; three cars were involved.

Dexter, Michigan – July 2009 – I-94 between Baker and Zeeb roads. A diabetic who works for the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department entered the highway going the wrong way. Low blood sugar is believed to have caused the driver to not be aware of what he was doing. No serious injuries were noted although the driver did hit several cars while going the wrong way.

Salem, New Hampshire – July 2009 – I-93 off-ramp, there is only one mentioned, was the location of this wrong-way collision at 2:35 a.m. The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Grants Pass, Oregon – July 2009 – An I-5 wrong-way crash lead to the death of one man but caused a four-car crash. The police were dispatched at 11:37 p.m. to I-5 to investigate a southbound driver in the northbound lanes eventually finding the crash around milepost 53. The driver, Malcolm H. Armstrong, 81, was listed as a missing/endangered person to memory-related problems. The driver that died was not the wrong-way driver.

Minneapolis, Minnesota – July 2009 – A man driving the wrong-way on a one-way street was stopped by an officer on a bike after the officer ran on foot, was struck by the side mirror and managed to get the driver stopped in a parking lot. The 29-year-old driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated. The driver registered .23 on a breath test.

Sumter County, South Carolina – June 30, 2009 – In this case a 14-year-old girl was driving the wrong-way on U.S. 378, west in the eastbound lanes of travel. The time was about 11:18 p.m. The minimum age for driving in South Carolina is 15, when a person is able to receive a learners permit. Apparently this girl didn’t understand she was in enough trouble. She produced another person’s driver’s license, and then when questioned about the photo gave a false name and birth date. In the car were five passengers including an unconscious 22-year-old male in the back seat. A search of the car produced a lot of beer and a marijuana blunt.

Amarillo, Texas – June 30, 2009 - A 56-year-old driver was going south in the northbound lanes on South Georgia Street when he collided with several vehicles. The wrong-way driver is the only person who died or was seriously injured. Alcohol was not a factor and an autopsy was ordered to try and determine the reason for the driver’s behavior.

Garmin GPS Navigator Field Test - The field test involved several different Garmin models in Mexico The specific model is a 010-10755-00 and the Mexico Navigator Card in Mexico. The experience or finding important to this post is as follows:

“In other cases, the GPS/card can give incorrect directions to an address, even though the street has not been changed, or, worse, actually direct the driver to make an illegal turn. In Malinalco, for example, the GPS/card directed a driver to turn the wrong way on a desired hotel's street, and into oncoming one-way traffic. Again, the driver needs to pay attention to street signs while listening to the GPS.”

There is no indication if this would be true with other models or this same model in other cities or towns in other countries. Barbara and I have used GPS navigators in both Ireland and Germany with great success.

Honolulu, Hawaii – June 2006 – Kanehoe-bound in the Halawa bound lanes of the H-3 near Halawa Valley Road at 3:45 a.m. on June 17, 2006. He was intoxicated with a BAC of 0.16. He crashed head-on into a car with a single-mother of two school-age children, all died at the scene. One month to the day the wrong-way driver died.

Toledo, OHIO – Suit was filed against the wrong-way driver and the bar that served him alcohol by the husband of the wife and four children who died in the wrong-way crash. The wrong-way driver is serving 43 years in prison for the crash.

Los Angles, California – This wrong-way driver fled on foot escaping officers and responsibility for this wrong-way crash on I-57, Orange freeway. He was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes at approximately 2:39 a.m. The wrong-way truck was stolen.

Charlotte, North Carolina – June 2009 – A wrong-way drunk-driver was arrested after traveling north in the southbound lanes of I-85 in Charlotte and causing a car accident. The 57-year-old was arrested and released on $5,000.

Topeka, Kansas – A wrong-way crash that took a life occurred in the west-bound lanes of I-70. She was later charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving while under the influence of alcohol. The driver was 38-years-old and the 27-year-old driver of the no-fault vehicle died. The accident occurred around 10:47 pm.

Kansas City, Missouri – June 2009 – This wrong-way driver went northbound in the southbound lanes on U.S. 71 in Kansas City. He crashed head-on into a semi-truck upon which both vehicles then exploded and became engulfed in flames. The offending driver was seriously injured but the semi-truck driver received only minor injuries.

Reva, Virginia – July 2009 - This one involved U.S. 29 and was a head-on collision. The title to the article states alcohol was not involved but few details are given in the article.

Virginia Beach, Virginia – June 2009 – The wrong-way driver was arrested for OWI, but was appears also to have been taking prescription medications for brain damage that predated this accident. The brain damage was alleged to be caused by a work-related injury when he as shocked or electrocuted while working on a tower. He was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 264.

Palm Bay, Florida – July 2009 – The driver is 84 from Melbourne and accidentally drove north in the southbound lanes of I-95. She got on at Palm Bay road. She drove about a mile, then stopped but not in time for other cars attempting to avoid here to collide. Two southbound cars that stopped were rear-ended by a semi-truck. Some were injured. And then?

“When she (Phillips) calmed down, she was not confused,” Montes said. “She was upset that someone might have gotten hurt.”

Then Phillips turned her 2007 Hundai around and drove off.

Phillips was cited for going the wrong way and must undergo a medical evaluation. Depending on the outcome of the test, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles could make her take a driving test. She has a current driver’s license, officials said.

South Dallas, Texas – July 2009 - Three people died from a head-on crash when a wrong-way driver traveled eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-20 in the Red Bird area of Dallas. Alcohol was found in the wrong-way driver’s car.

Las Vegas, Nevada – A wrong-way driver allegedly high on prescription drugs came the wrong-way towards a police officer who was in the process of taking a drunk driver to jail. The drug was Lortab.

Vigil admitted to taking the powerful narcotic Lortab before driving. He then failed a series of sobriety tests.

"While processing him in the medical center in Las Vegas, a baggie fell out of his sock containing a baggie of blue pills which turned out to be Xanax," State Police Spokesman Lt. Eric Garcia said Thursday.

The pills weren't in a prescription bottle and Vigil couldn't show cops prescriptions for either medication, so they added possession charges to his DWI.

Even after that, Vigil still can't grasp what just happened.

He asked in the dashcam video, "What did I do wrong?"

New York, New York – July 2009 – Taconic State Parkway – Eight people died - Driving 70-mph two-miles the wrong-way on a highway she was very familiar with what caused this 36-year-old mother with her children in the van to do the unthinkable? In her van was her 2-year-old daughter, 5-year-old son and three nieces. All but one died in the head-on crash. It was a Sunday and she was driving from a campground. Her son was the only one to survive the crash. In the other head-on car, an SUV, three men died. This is an unbelievably busy interstate. So why did she continue going the wrong way? There is a video at the first link. And a video of the timeline involved just previous to the crash; the cause remains a mystery.

Gastonia, South Carolina – July 2009 – A wrong-way driver on I-85 in Gaston County, traveling south in the northbound lanes of travel was accused of trying to strike cars driving the wrong way and finally driving into a cement wall. He was under psychiatric care.

A man who passed him told Eyewitness News it looked like Ghent was going 100 mph. That driver said he was on his way to his Charlotte home from work in Gastonia, and he remembers seeing headlights coming directly at him in his lane. He said he thought it could only be a trooper traveling on the wrong side of the road at night. He said he moved two lanes over and watched as the car passed by.

Seconds later, troopers fell in behind the vehicle.

They said they stopped Ghent near exit 23 and he refused to take a breathalyzer. They said a blood test found an unnamed prescription drug in Ghent's blood. There is a video-tape report.

InjuryBoard.com – Blog by Brooks Schuelke - What Can Be Done To Protect Dallas Motorists From Wrong-Way Drivers? Discusses how Dallas highway officials need to approach the problem. He points out what automakers are looking at the situation.

Bloomington, Indiana - Wrong-way driver on Ind. 37 told police she was following her GPS – July 31, 2009 - By Marcela Creps, 331-4375 | mcreps@heraldt.com

Brownsburg, Indiana – July 2009 – Near the I-74 interchange with Ronal Reagan Parkway near the western Indianapolis suburb of Brownsburg around 8:15 A.M. The collision occurred in Hendricks County involving a 59-year-old woman heading eastbound in the westbound lanes. She died when her SUV struck the rear axle of one semi, then airborne and struck another semi head-on.

Chicago, Illinois – July 2009 – I-55, near South Halsted Street at 1:50 a.m. The wrong-way driver was headed south. A 38-year-old woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash. The male wrong-way driver was neither identified nor charged although he was reported to be in custody.

Nevada – July 2009 – This on occurred on Pyramid Highway just north of Queen Way heading north in the southbound lanes. The wrong-way driver sideswiped a van and then collided head-on with a car. The accident occurred at 6:50 a.m. The wrong-way driver was reported as “sleepy”. The crash caused injuries but no one was killed.

Charlotte, North Carolina – July 2009 - I-85 is the scene of this chase by state troopers attempting to stop a DUI driver for over 20-miles in a 2008 Honda. The driver was spotted at around 1:30 a.m. in Charlotte’s University City area.

Santa Rosa, California – July 2009 – Highway 101, the wrong-way driver was arrested on suspicion of OWI. The time was around 5:40 p.m. The driver made two attempts to make a u-turn and each time to reenter the highway the wrong way. The driver was 46-years-old.

Denver, Colorado – July 2009 – A 21-year-old driver was killed after driving the wrong-way on I-225 and colliding with a skyRide bus. The collision occurred at 1:48 a.m. near Aurora. The cause of this wrong-way is not obvious. The force of the impact with the bus drove the Taurus backward about 250 feet into the median.

Police Sgt. Kevin Rollins said that moments before the collision, a Colorado Department of Transportation employee spotted Gordon standing outside her Ford Taurus in the median of I-225, just south of East Yale Avenue. The employee, who was in a marked CDOT vehicle, turned on his flashing lights and was driving up to assist her when Gordon jumped back into her car and drove north in the southbound lanes of I-225.

Rollins said Gordon accelerated quickly and had driven about 500 feet when she crashed into the bus.

San Bernardino, California – July 2009 – I-215 is the interstate where four-cars were involved in a collision after one drove northbound in the southbound lanes.

Hillside, New Jersey – July 2009 – Wrong-way driver on Winans Avenue spun off of the roadway and then crashed into a home. The driver is a 37-year-old woman. At the time of the story no causes were established beyond careless driving.

Evansville, Indiana - July 2009 – A 28-year-old woman drove the wrong-way on I-164, driving southbound in the northbound lanes at freeway speeds. Her blood alcohol level is reported at more than twice the legal limit. (0.20) The time of the incident was just after 1:00 a.m.

Also other videos from ABC 4 News in Pittsburgh.