Tragic and somewhat confusing news coming out of North Carolina today. The Baltimore Sun is reporting two separate vehicles, both driven by Maryland residents, were involved in a head-on collision on U.S. 17 in North Carolina.

Apparently Loriann Bobotek, 47, of the 4000 block of Hopi Court in Ellicott City was driving her Dodge Caravan south on U.S. 17 when she attempted to pass a slower moving vehicle. When she moved into the other lane of travel, her van slammed into a black Mitsubishi Montero operated by Christina Sonn, 35 of the 3000 block of Edwards Avenue in Parkville, Maryland. Both drivers shortly after the collision.

Seven total passengers in Bobotek’s van and the Montero were taken to an area hospital in Greenville, N.C. and five have since been released.

The facts of this accident bring to light a legal dilemma victims and family’s of victims face when confronted with an out-of-state accident. Do you retain a lawyer where the accident occurred or where you live? The question is complex, but the simple answer is where you live. Using this case as an example, an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer should be able to do everything a North Carolina injury attorney can do, and more.
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On Tuesday August 4, 2009, a wonderful man named John “Jack” Yates (age 67) was killed, while safely operating his bicycle, by a hit and run driver at the corner of Maryland Avenue and Lafayette Avenue in Baltimore City, Maryland. The hit and run driver was operating a nondescript white box truck.

Jack Yates was a loving grandfather, father and husband. He spent his entire professional life helping troubled youth in Baltimore City. He deserves better. If anyone has information as to the identity of the truck and driver, please contact the Baltimore City Police or send a confidential email to ssilverman@silvermanthompson.com. Thanks, Steve Silverman

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that a cyclist was struck by a motor vehicle and killed in downtown Baltimore today. The accident occurred on the corner of Maryland and Lafayette avenues. It is unclear whether the cyclist was wearing a helmet.

Our firms personal injury department has successfully handled several accidents involving bicycles and automobiles. Interestingly enough, the rules of the road apply the same to cyclist as they do to automobiles. For more information, please contact us for a consultation.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting a man driving a Lexus crashed into the rear of a slow moving van this morning on Interstate 97 near Crownsville. The crash sparked a fire that consumed both vehicles. One person was killed.

The driver of the Lexus, Joseph Romano and his passenger were able to escape their vehicle. Only one of the occupants of the Chevrolet van was able to escape. The survivors were transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment for not life-threatening injuries. Police have not disclosed the name of the person pronounced dead at the scene.

A skateboarder’s failure to yield when entering a highway contributed to his own demise and bars his widow and estate from recovering against the driver whose vehicle struck and killed him, the Court of Special Appeals has held. A recent article in the Maryland Daily Record discusses the Court’s determination that a skateboarder is a “vehicle” and therefore subject to the boulevard rule. Thousands of Marylanders are injured every year while riding on skateboards, bicycles and other recreational vehicles. An experienced accident attorney can help injured victims recover compensation for their injuries under the law.
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The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Mathew S. Markle, 38, was tragically killed this morning in a one-car accident near Havre de Grace, Maryland this morning. an Interstate 95 on-ramp was closed for several hours. According to the Maryland State Police, Mr. Markle lost control of his pickup truck on the ramp from Route 155 to southbound I-95 on Exit 89. He lost control when his pickup left the roadway, went into a ditch and overturned. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Terrible news out of Anne Arundel County this morning. A 33 year old woman was killed and her 5 year old daughter were injured when another vehicle struck her in the rear, forcing her directly into the path of a commercial garbage truck. According to the Baltimore Sun, Anne Arundel Police have not released the victim’s names.

Apparently after the garbage truck struck the vehicle, both vehicles caught on fire. Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Lavelas Luckey was the hero who saved the child. Petty Officer Luckey was on his way to work when he came upon the accident. He freed the child from the back seat and attempted to save the mother as well.

The child was taken to Johns Hopkins Pediatric Trauma Center in Baltimore. Tragically, the mother died at the seen due to injuries sustained. The accident happened on Ordinance Road in Glen Burnie. Early indications are that drugs and alcohol are not factors in this accident.