Published: Sunday, February 20, 2011, 4:19 PM     Updated: Sunday, February 20, 2011, 4:26 PM

ROSINTON, Alabama — A 45-year-old Spanish Fort woman was killed Saturday evening in a single-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 10 in eastern Baldwin County, Alabama State Troopers said.

Two children, a 13-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, were injured, spokesman Trooper Greg Eubanks said.

The woman was identified as Angela Stephens. Eubanks said she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Olivia Stephens and Alex Stephens, also of Spanish Fort, were airlifted from the scene to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Pensacola, Eubanks said.

The accident took place about 5:30 p.m. east of the Wilcox Road exit in eastern Baldwin County, about 10 miles west of the Florida state line.

According to Eubanks, Stephens was westbound on I-10 in a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe when the SUV left the road and went into the median, where it overturned several times.

Eubanks said Stephens, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the SUV as it rolled, and the vehicle came to rest in the eastbound lanes.

The children were not thrown from the vehicle during the wreck, Eubanks said. A nursing spokesman at Sacred Heart said both children were released from the hospital Sunday.

Call a Rollover Lawyer to Discuss Your Rollover Lawsuit Legal Options

If you or a loved one have been severely injured or killed in a rollover accident involving an SUV, truck or van, you and your family may be entitled to financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. The Willis Law Firm has the expertise you need to get the money and justice that you deserve. To discuss your case with our law firm and to learn more about how we may be able to fight for you, please Contact a Rollover Lawyer or call The Willis Law Firm today at 1-877-788-7655. You are not alone.

ST. MARY, FLORIDA — Two teenagers have died and four others were injured in a crash on Interstate 4 north of Orlando.

The Florida Highway Patrol says the crash happened near the exit for Lake Mary today at about 11:30 a.m., when a 2003 Ford SUV swerved toward the shoulder of the road and overturned at least once.

Seventeen-year-old Laura Grant and 19-year-old Edward Culberhouse were killed in the crash. Both were ejected from the vehicle.

Another teen, 18-year-old Elizabeth Harrison, was critically injured. Three other teenagers have minor injuries.

Call a Rollover Lawyer to Discuss Your Rollover Lawsuit Legal Options

If you or a loved one have been severely injured or killed in a rollover accident involving an SUV, truck or van, you and your family may be entitled to financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. The Willis Law Firm has the expertise you need to get the money and justice that you deserve. To discuss your case with our law firm and to learn more about how we may be able to fight for you, please Contact a Rollover Lawyer or call The Willis Law Firm today at 1-877-788-7655. You are not alone.

photo courtesy of Volvo Because of a higher center of gravity, SUVs are more prone to rollover accidents than typical sedans.

In 2003, 35.7 percent of fatal SUV crashes resulted in a rollover. That same year just 15.8 of fatal passenger car accidents resulted in a rollover. What this statistic points out is the fact that SUVs are much more likely to rollover in a serious accidents. Compounding the issue is the fact that SUVs often carry heavy loads with make them even more top-heavy and thus are more likely to be involved in rollover accidents.

Causes of Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents are directly related to a vehicle’s stability in turns. That stability is influenced by the relationship between the center of gravity and the track width (distance between the left and right wheels). A high center of gravity and narrow track can make a vehicle unstable in fast turns or sharp changes of direction–increasing the odds that it will tip over once it begins to skid sideways. The problem is most pronounced in 4-wheel-drive pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles, which have a higher ground clearance for off-road driving.

photo courtesy of Volvo Many SUVs have roll-stability control systems that work to prevent rollover accidents.

Most fatal 4WD rollovers are single-vehicle accidents that occur on weekend nights. The drivers are most frequently males under 25, and alcohol is usually involved. In three out of four fatal rollovers, the victims were ejected from the vehicle, indicating they weren’t wearing a seatbelt.

Rollover Accident Risk Rating System
Neither cars nor trucks are subject to a federal rollover standard, though pressure for such a requirement has been building. To help predict which vehicles might have a greater likelihood to overturn in single-vehicle accidents, NHTSA introduced a rollover rating system in 2001. Reported on a five-star system, the rollover ratings are based on an engineering analysis of each vehicle’s center of gravity and the width between the front tires. The results are compared with police accident reports for confirmation. In its rating system, five stars equals a rollover risk of less than 10 percent, while one star indicates a greater than 40 percent rollover risk.

Call a Rollover Lawyer to Discuss Your Rollover Lawsuit Legal Options

If you or a loved one have been severely injured or killed in a rollover accident involving an SUV, truck or van, you and your family may be entitled to financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. The Willis Law Firm has the expertise you need to get the money and justice that you deserve. To discuss your case with our law firm and to learn more about how we may be able to fight for you, please Contact a Rollover Lawyer or call The Willis Law Firm today at 1-877-788-7655. You are not alone.

The Associated Press (2/4, Thomas) reports, “Ford Motor Co. recalled nearly 365,000 F-150 pickup trucks in North America on Thursday to fix a problem with the interior door handles that could lead to the doors opening in a crash.”

The recall covers “about 280,000 F-150s in the US from the 2009 and 2010 model years built from Jan. 18, 2008, through Nov. 30, 2009.” NHTSA “said on its website that a spring in the interior door handle could break, causing the door to fail to latch properly. If the truck was struck by another vehicle on the side, the government said the door latch could open.”

The Wall Street Journal (2/4/2011) states that the required repair will involve either reinforcing the door handle latch spring or replacing the entire handle module.

*****It must be noted that this door latch may also fail in the event of a rollover accident involving Ford F-150 trucks, since the same or even great forces are in play in the case of a rollover accident in a truck or SUV. *****

DeBary, FL—Volusia County Sheriff’s Office suspects the victims of a fatal SUV rollover accident were deliberately trying to ride on the exterior of the vehicle when it overturned and burst into flames. The automobile accident occurred on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 on westbound Fort Florida Road near Barwick Road at 10:55 a.m., as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.Deputies believe at least one of the two teens, who were killed in the crash, were riding on the exterior of the vehicle; otherwise known as car surfing or ghost riding, when driver Joshua Ritter, 18, lost control of the SUV.

The two teens were reportedly riding on the running boards of the SUV, when it crashed and burst into flames. One teen made it partially back into the vehicle, while the other—who was ridding on the running board—died at the scene. The other victim was airlifted to Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach where the teenager died.

One of the victims was identified as 18-year-old Carlos Velazco of DeBary, but the identity of the other fatally injured teen is being withheld.

Emergency crews responding to the accident rushed passengers Ryan Jenkins, 17, and Kenyanna Hawkins, 18, to Florida Hospital Memorial in Orange City and Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford. Ritter is being treated at Halifax Medical Center.

Call a Rollover Lawyer to Discuss Your Rollover Lawsuit Legal Options

If you or a loved one have been severely injured or killed in a rollover accident involving an SUV, truck or van, you and your family may be entitled to financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. The Willis Law Firm has the expertise you need to get the money and justice that you deserve. To discuss your case with our law firm and to learn more about how we may be able to fight for you, please Contact a Rollover Lawyer or call The Willis Law Firm today at 1-877-788-7655. You are not alone.