Safely Passing Another Car
Almost all newly licensed drivers get into an accident at some point during the first year after the DMV issues their driver’s licenses. Some of these accidents involve teen drivers engaging in mind-bogglingly reckless behavior, such as driving at twice the speed limit or filming themselves speeding through red lights, and sometimes these accidents are catastrophic. More frequently, teen drivers crash their cars while trying to execute maneuvers that are second nature to more experienced drivers. They get into fender benders while trying to get in and out of parking spots, change lanes, or navigate four way stops. Of course, with new drivers, mundane mistakes can also sometimes lead to catastrophic consequences. If you have been seriously injured in a traffic accident resulting in a minor mistake by an inexperienced driver, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.
Columbia Teen Dies in Single Vehicle Collision While Trying to Pass Another Car
In February 2025, a recently licensed driver from Columbia died in a single vehicle accident when he lost control of his car. Matthew Putnam was driving in the northbound lanes of Alpine Road in a 2006 Ford Mustang during afternoon rush hour. He attempted to pass the car in front of him by changing into the rightmost lane and accelerating. The acceleration caused him to lose control of the car, and it veered off the road and struck a utility pole. Putnam was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. He was 17 years old.
When the most recent news reports were published, the accident was still under investigation. It is unclear how fast Putnam was driving when he passed the other vehicle or if there were any other factors that contributed to the accident.
How to Pass Another Vehicle Safely
Learning how to pass another car safely is a standard part of the drivers’ ed curriculum, but it takes practice to do it successfully. The usual way to pass or overtake the car in front of you is to merge into the left lane, increase your speed until you have overtaken the car that was previously in front of you and there is a safe distance between you and the other car, and then to merge right so that you are in front of the car that was previously in front of you. South Carolina law allows passing on the right in certain circumstances; this is what Putnam was trying to do at the time of the fatal collision.
South Carolina law indicates that you can pass on the right when there are at least two lanes of traffic that are going in the same direction. In other words, you can only pass in a designated lane of traffic, not by driving onto the road shoulder and then back into a lane of traffic.
Let Us Help You Today
The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a complaint related to a car accident that took place when you were trying to pass another car. Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.
Sources:
wltx.com/article/traffic/columbia-teen-killed-alpine-road-crash-death/101-43b99d9d-e2ac-4753-9a2d-e18f96857934
law.justia.com/codes/south-carolina/title-56/chapter-5/section-56-5-1850/
