Created: 6/9/2004 4:41:43 PM 
By Kyle Meenan First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- An Ortega woman is recovering from her injuries in a mid-morning crash that sent her SUV tumbling.
Police say the driver of the SUV had the green light heading north on Edgewood, when a flatbed truck driver either ran the light or had brake problems. His truck slammed into the passenger side of the SUV, sending it tumbling.
Witnesses say she rolled at least three times.
JSO Traffic Officer J.W. Lee says he sees this type of crash all too often.
"These small SUVs like this we have a lot of problems, if they get hit in the side... over they go "
According to Federal Safety Statistics, rollover crashes kill 10,000 people each year, and 60% of them are in SUVs.
"It's been our experience that the smaller the wheelbase when they're hit on the side, they're top-heavy and they roll and we've seen that many many times," said Lee.
But a representative for nine of the major automobile makers told First Coast News the statistics are skewed.
"Rollover deaths are tragic but in many cases they're preventable," said Eron Shosteck, of the Washington, D.C. base Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
"They (SUV Crashes) are only 2.5% of all crashes and about 70% of those killed in SUV crashes were not wearing their safety belt."
Shosteck says SUV drivers who don't buckle up are the real reason for deaths in SUV rollovers.
"If every SUV occupant wore their safety belt we'd save 1000 lives a year. Two thirds of those killed in SUV rollover crashes were not wearing their safety belt."
Officer Lee agrees about the seatbelets, and also says, from his experience with SUV roll over crashes. it appears bigger SUVs with wider wheelbases are less likely to tumble.
"The wider they sit on the road, the wider the track, the more stable they are," said Lee. "When you start bringing the wheels in for the smaller ones...(Lee rotates his hand and arm quickly) over they go."
Fortunately, the driver in this morning's SUV rollover was wearing her safety belt. She was treated and relased from Shands Jacksonville.
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