Last week, an elderly woman slowed her car as she approached her driveway in the town of Vernon, New York. She was driving east on Route 5 and had to cross westbound traffic in order to enter her driveway, which sits on the north side of Route 5. She came to a complete stop, waiting for an opening in the line of cars going west.

But before she could turn into the safety of her driveway, a car driven by an 87-year-old man slammed into the back of her car. The force of the rear-end collision threw her car into oncoming westbound traffic, where a van hit her car again. The van flipped into a roadside ditch. The woman's car was so badly damaged that rescue workers had to cut through the mangled heap of steel in order to remove her.

She suffered internal injuries and broken bones. A passenger in the van also sustained cuts to his hand and was taken from the scene for additional medical examination.

All drivers know that they are at the complete mercy of drivers behind them. This is especially true when a car is stopped at a stop sign, traffic light, or even in front of one's own driveway. Some drivers undoubtedly have experienced the sinking feeling when a car appears in the rearview mirror and the driver realizes that the car cannot slow down in time to avoid an accident.

The crash in this case occurred during daylight hours, in the late afternoon. There is no word on whether any unusual geographical features make this particular stretch of road more prone to accidents. Reports appear to indicate that the woman was driving legally and prudently. The man received a ticket for speeding.

Source: WKTV.com, "Three injured after three-car crash in Town of Vernon," Feb. 3, 2012.