Head-on Collision Results in Two Deaths on 290

Photo of a vehicle involved in a head-on collision

According to The Austin American Statesman, two men died in a head-on collision on June 21. Emergency crews responded to the 12000 block of U.S. Hwy 290 (near the Hays and Travis County line) at 5:45 a.m.

Upon arriving on the scene, first responders found one vehicle on fire. Commander Mike Benavides with the Austin-Travis County EMS said that the driver of that vehicle, Jeffrey Edward Skrhak, 28, was pronounced dead on the scene.

A husband and wife with their child were in the second vehicle. The husband, Frank Trenholm Lyman III, 46, was pronounced dead at the scene. His 42-year-old wife was taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge with life-threatening injuries. Their five-year-old child was taken by ambulance to Dell Children’s Medical Center with life-threatening injuries as well.

The Statesman said that Skrhak was traveling eastbound on westbound lanes on Hwy 290 in his BMW when he ran head-on into the Honda Pilot driven by the Lyman family.

Can Median Barriers Prevent Head-on Collisions?

Although it is not understood why Skrhak was traveling in the wrong lane, median barriers might have prevented this catastrophic collision if they were in place.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), “median barriers are longitudinal barriers most commonly used to separate opposing directions of traffic on a divided highway.”

Although these barriers do not prevent all crashes, they are effective at reducing crossover head-on collisions.

There are three main types of median barriers:

• Rigid barriers (concrete barriers)
• Semi-rigid barriers (usually connected sections of metal railing supported by posts or blocks)
• Cable barriers (multiple steel cables connected to a series of posts)

Rigid barriers are the most common type of median barrier in use today. However, cable barriers are becoming more popular, because they are inexpensive to install and maintain; most importantly, cable barriers are effective at doing their job.

The Law Offices of Aaron Allison – Austin Personal Injury Attorney

Source: https://www.statesman.com/article/20140623/NEWS/306239686