August 24, 2009

CALIFORNIA: A 60-year-old beach loving woman and her dog, Peanut, were struck and killed by a 16-year-old driver, as the woman headed out to the surf for her daily walk. The Ventura County Star says the driver has not been charged with anything, and told Ventura police he didn't see them in the road before the crash.

Family members told the newspaper that Susan Herman was "half flower child, half attorney and accountant." She had a daughter and one grandson, whom she doted on.

Herman, pictured above, was an animal lover who rescued tortoises, chickens, rabbits, cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, a cow and a horse, her daughter told the Ventura County Star. Peanut was also adopted.

OREGON: An 18-year-old woman was ejected from an SUV around 4:20 a.m. Monday after a simple driving error ended in a fatal rollover. According to a local TV station,  the 22-year-old driver drifted into the shoulder, and overcorrected, causing the vehicle to roll over. The accident happened on a rural road in Lakeview.

Over correcting is a common issue in novice drivers, and really anyone who may be nervous behind the wheel, or sleepy, or drunk. It's when you get startled by something and jerk the wheel in the other direction, causing the car to lose control and sometimes flip. Although by this photo, it looks like the road they were driving on was likely nerve-wracking enough, with the steep dropoff to their right.

Lauren Allison, 18, was not wearing her seatbelt, and was ejected from the car. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Michael Bymoen, was wearing his seatbelt and was taken to the hospital, and was listed in serious condition.