NHTSA Complaint #10441629 — 2006 CHEVROLET EXPRESS

ON APRIL 29, 2011, A PASSENGER AND I WERE INVOLVED IN A VERY SERIOUS NEAR-FATAL MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT. I WAS THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS A 2006 CHEVY EXPRESS CARGO VAN. WE WERE DRIVING FROM MEDFORD, OREGON TO KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON ON HWY 140 EAST. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED NEAR MILE MARKER 59 AT APPROXIMATELY 8 A.M. THIS STRETCH OF HIGHWAY RUNS PARALLEL TO KLAMATH LAKE. THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL WHEN WE DROVE OVER A PATCH OF UNSEEN BLACK ICE. AS THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL WE WENT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND INTO THE LAKE WHERE WE COLLIDED HEAD ON INTO A HUGE BOLDER (NOT A ROCK) THAT WAS PROTRUDING FROM THE WATER. THE IMPACT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER LENGTH WISE AND THEN CAME TO REST UPRIGHT IN THE WATER. THE VAN SANK INTO THE WATER AND STOPPED SINKING WHEN THE WATER LEVEL HAD RISEN TO OUR CHINS. HIGHWAY PATROL AND AN AMBULANCE TEAM WERE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE AND IT WAS NOTED THAT THE DUAL AIRBAG SYSTEM DID NOT DEPLOY. AS A RESULT I SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES INCLUDING A FRACTURED STERNUM AND A VERY SERIOUS SHOULDER INJURY WHICH REQUIRED RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY AND A LENGTHY RECOVERY PERIOD. MY PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. I BELIEVE, AS WELL AS OTHERS, THAT HAD THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AS THEY SHOULD HAVE, THE INJURIES I RECEIVED WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED OR WOULD HAVE BEEN GREATLY MINIMIZED. *KB