Photos from Montgomery County Police Reporter

Safety features in modern cars and trucks are designed to save lives and minimize injuries during crashes. Unfortunately, vintage vehicles lack many of the modern conveniences and safety features that we take for granted everyday. Automotive enthusiasts love the lines, sounds, smells, and feel of classic cars; however, there is an inherent danger when driving classic because of lack of safety features.

According to the Montgomery County Police Reporter, 72-year-old Donna Beam failed to yield when making left turn on September 12, 2015. Beam was behind the wheel of a 1957 Nash Metropolitan as she made a left turn and was struck by driver of a Honda Civic.

The driver of the Honda was checked for any sign of impairment, but authorities found no sign of impairment. Beam was flown to the hospital after the authorities found her unresponsive at the scene of the accident. Her injuries were severe and two days later she passed away.

Both images and video depict the severity of the damage sustained by the Nash as well as the Honda. Although, the Honda shows significant damage to the front end and the driver’s airbag appears to have been deployed, the driver was sustained minimal injuries. In fact, the driver of the Honda was treated at the scene and released, but Beam, the driver of the Nash had to be airlifted.

The passenger side of the Nash shows the severity of the impact, which resulted in serious and eventually fatal injuries. Classic cars lack airbags, seat belts, and do not have impact absorbing body panels, therefore enthusiasts must be cautious and careful while behind the wheel.