Any time a driver loses control of a motor vehicle, there may be people put at risk of danger. When we think of car accidents along a highway, we may think that the potential accident victims are occupants of one of the cars. Similarly, when we think about pedestrian accidents, the first thought may involve the concept of a crosswalk accident, or a car striking a pedestrian walking near the edge of a sidewalk.

However, stories hit the news from time-to-time that involve bystanders near the scene of a car accident who are swept into the wreck by their mere presence to the zone of danger.

Two teenagers suffered personal injuries after a driver lost control of his vehicle Sunday afternoon on southbound Highway 63. Authorities say that the teens were standing near a parked car on the highway.

Law enforcement says that a 51-year-old Holts Summit man lost control of his Jeep. Apparently while attempting to change lanes on Southbound 63, north of Claysville road. The Jeep apparently spun out toward the right shoulder and slammed into a Honda element parked along the highway.

The impact forced the Honda into a 17-year-old, who was standing alongside the road. Debris from the car accident was sent flying through the air—police say that some of the debris hit a 19-year-old woman, who was also standing near the highway. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has not indicated why the teens were standing near the highway.

The 19-year-old woman struck by debris was taken to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, for treatment of undisclosed injuries. Authorities characterize her injuries as moderate. The 17-year-old who was struck by the parked car reportedly refused medical treatment. The highway accident was reported Sunday afternoon around 4:30 p.m., south of Ashland, Missouri.

Source: Columbia Daily Tribune, “Two hurt in crash on southbound 63,” June 24, 2013