NHTSA Complaint #10104101 — 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER

ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2004, MY HUSBAND, MOTHER, 8 YEAR OLD SON, 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, AND 1 YEAR OLD SON, WERE STRANDED IN THE EMERGENCY LANE ON I-66 EAST IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA WITH A BROKEN FUEL PUMP. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK THEY WERE HIT BY A DRUNK DRIVER WHO WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MPH. THE BLAZER FLIPPED ONTO ITS SIDE AND SKIDDED A GREAT DISTANCE, BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. MY 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN THE BACK SEAT, AND THE FRONT SEAT BROKE AND SANDWICHED HER IN BETWEEN THE TWO. SHE BROKE HER JAW WHEN SHE WAS SLAMMED INTO THE SMALL HANDLE ABOVE THE REAR RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. SHE ALSO SUFFERED A BROKEN WRIST AND BROKEN ARM WHEN SHE WAS THROWN INTO THE DOOR. WHEN THE BACK SEAT BROKE IT CAUSED HER TO HIT THE HEADSET OF THE BROKEN FRONT SEAT WHICH IN TURN CAUSED SOME OF HER TEETH TO GO THROUGH HER BOTTOM LIP. MY MOTHER WHO WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS INJURED WHEN THE ROOF DID NOT HOLD UP IN THE CRASH AND SUFFERED THANKFULLY WHAT WAS CLASSIFIED AS "MINOR" INJURIES, BUT COULD HAVE VERY WELL BEEN MAJOR INJURIES BECAUSE THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE FROM FRONT TO BACK DID NOT HOLD UP IN THE ACCIDENT. I DO HAVE MANY PICTURES OF WHAT WAS LEFT OF MY BLAZER, FROM MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES BOTH INSIDE AND OUT. I AM DEEPLY TROUBLED BY THE FACT THAT BOTH SEATS BROKE, AND THE ROOF DID NOT HOLD UP AT ALL. MY 8 YEAR SITTING IN THE REAR CENTER SEAT HAD A LACERATION AND CONCUSSION, MY 1 YEAR OLD SITTING IN THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HAD NO INJURIES, AND MY HUSBAND IN THE DRIVERS SEAT SUFFERED MINOR HEAD AND SHOULDER INJURIES. GRANTED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE, BUT I EXPECTED A LOT MORE OUT OF THE BLAZER THAN WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. *JB