Authorities Say Jeep Aftermarket Bumper Contributed to Fatalities

By Detroit Steel - March 3, 2015

Jeep Bumper Crash

While some of those custom Jeep accessories are certainly an asset when off-roading, it seems that they can also be very dangerous on the road.

An aftermarket bumper for a Jeep is said to have been a contributing factor in the deaths of two high school students after a Wrangler fitted with the part rear-ended a Honda Accord carrying four passengers on a highway in Washington State, according to an OregonLive.com report.

A Washington State Patrol spokesman said the bumper on the Jeep driven by 35-year-old Michael Calarco Portland “intruded through the trunk and into the rear of the passenger compartment,” killing 17-year-old Cooper Hill and 16-year-old Antonio Caballero.

The accident happened after another car stopped in front of the Honda on the highway, forcing the Accord to brake. Authorities said Calarco was traveling at a speed of 55 to 60 mph when his Jeep rear-ended the Honda, apparently unaware that the Honda had stopped.

Calarco could have been charged with vehicular homicide, but the prosecuting attorney decided to cite him for second-degree negligent driving after talking to investigators and viewing the scene.