San Antonio, TX : Two women killed when their vehicle crashed into a highway barrier early Sunday, Sep 27, 2015
Two young girls were killed instantly after a crash on Loop 410.
It happened near Callaghan Road and shut down the highway for several hours.
Police now say neither girl was wearing their seatbelts.
You can barely recognize the Toyota Corolla after police say it collided with a guardrail head on
“For whatever reason individuals just tend to ignore [wearing a seatbelt] at times," said Crime Tracker Specialist Gilbert De La Portilla.
The two young girls --who officers say were in their late teens or early twenties-- were not wearing seatbelts and died at the scene.
Police says the car was going too fast, and heading west on 410 when the driver lost control just before 5 am Sunday morning.
“That seatbelt will restrain your body from just being [thrown] like a rag doll,” said De La Portilla.
Crime tracker specialist and former San Antonio police officer Gilbert De La Portilla says your chances of surviving a crash and protecting yourself from injury greatly increase when you wear a seatbelt.
Newer car models are equipped with fail safes that will remind you if don't click in your seatbelt before you start driving, but the CDC says some people still won't buckle up.
“The reasoning behind that is we're not sure it's just up to the individual," said De La Portilla.
The CDC says motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens and that adults 18-34 are less likely to wear seatbelts than older adults.
And while airbags offer added protection, De La Portilla says they are no substitute for seatbelts.
“You could go through the windshield you could be ejected,” said De La Portilla. “Sometimes when they get ejected, the car will roll over and roll over them. "
No other vehicles were involved in this crash.
Police say there were no signs of alcohol or drugs, but a toxicology report is pending.
Not wearing a seatbelt is against the law in Texas.
Source:
Two dead after early morning crash on Loop 410