Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Marilyn Horton, of Swansea, South Carolina, wrote a letter to the editor, which was published in today's State newspaper: "I travel on Interstate 26 for approximately twenty-five miles 5 days per week to and from work. There is at least one wreck each week involving a tractor trailer on the section I travel.

If the section of I-26 from I-77 to I-95 were widened to 6 lanes, and we added more Highway Patrol troopers, the number of accidents and deaths would be greatly reduced."

It is an important issue, and I am glad Marilyn Horton is doing her part as a citizen to shed light on things.

Continue reading "Swansea, South Carolina Citizen Concerned About I-26 Truck Accidents" »

In 2005, more than 5,200 people were killed and another 114,000 were injured in truck crashes in this country. According to a report released March 12, 2007 by a leading truck safety group, the most deadly trucking state in the nation (based on the number of truck crash deaths per 100,000 population) is 1. Wyoming (6.09), followed by 2. Arkansas (4.17), 3. Oklahoma (3.41), 4. New Mexico (3.27), 5. Mississippi (3.12), 6. West Virginia (3.03), 7. Kentucky (2.97), 8. Kansas (2.91), 9. South Carolina (2.91), and 10. Missouri (2.86).

South Carolina is the second-fastest state in the growth of tractor trailer fatalities. The states that experienced the biggest jump in their 2005 truck crash death rates, compared to 2004, were: 1. Oklahoma, 2. South Carolina, 3. Louisiana, 4. North Dakota, 5. Montana, 6. Idaho, 7. Nevada, 8. Oregon, 9. Illinois, 10. Virginia, 11. New Jersey, 12. Washington, and 13. Hawaii.

Safety on our roads is of paramount importance. In South Carolina, too often we have been used to being at the top of the "bad lists," and at the bottom of the "good lists." But it doesn't have to be that way. 18 wheeler deaths can be prevented - but it takes real effort by decision-makers at all levels. Perhaps the most important factor is for truck drivers and trucking companies to take responsibility for safety on the roads. Safety laws and regulations are not in place to harass anyone, or to make business more difficult. Those laws and regulations are there to make our roads safer, so that more tragedies, like the fatal accident yesterday, can be prevented.

Continue reading "South Carolina is Number 9 on Most Deadly Trucking States List" »

A South Carolina tractor trailer accident caused two deaths yesterday. Local Chester County authorities reported that two children died Monday, March 26 when a logging truck collided with the minivan they were riding in. Chester County, South Carolina, Coroner Terry Tinker says 9 year-old Hannah Quinton of Fort Lawn and 7 year-old Nicholas Cherry of Richburg died when their minivan collided with a logging truck Monday afternoon near Richburg, South Carolina, on Highway 9.

39-year-old Alice Quinton, the girl's mother, was driving when the logging truck hit them. She is in fair condition at a Charlotte, North Carolina, hospital. Two others were injured in the minivan, 7 year-old Timothy Quinton, in critical condition, and Taylor Cherry, in serious condition.

The truck driver, 51-year-old George Rogers, was evaluated at the Chester Regional Medical Center, but he appears to be in comparatively good condition. Rogers was released from the hospital Tuesday morning.

According to South Carolina Highway Patrol Troopers, the minivan was struck by the logging truck as it crossed state Highway 9 near Richburg. During the crash, almost the entire driver's side of the van was torn off. Logs were scattered all across the four-lane highway.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol's specialized MAIT (Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team) unit is investigating who had the right of way at the intersection on state Highway 9. The MAIT Unit investigates complicated and catastrophic vehicle crashes, by using state-of-the-art technology and analysis to reconstruct the collision scene.

Continue reading "Logging Truck Accident Claims Two Children Near Richburg, South Carolina" »

A tanker truck wreck today, along I-95, near Fayetteville, North Carolina, spilled approximately 6,700 gallons of diesel fuel along the interstate. The wreck happened on I-95 southbound, between mile marker 41 and mile marker 33, between Fayetteville and Lumberton. Both sides of U.S. 95 filled with emergency crews as a result of the wreck. Press reports indicate that the air was filled with the stench of gasoline.

According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the driver, Clifford Sandoval of Wilson, North Carolina, had a diabetic attack. Sandoval lost control, and then spun off I-95 and into a swamp.

Diesel fuel and gasoline flowed out on the interstate, and into a creek that feeds into the Lumbee River. All lanes of traffic, in both directions along I-95 were blocked. Cars backed up for upwards of 5 miles in both directions.

Continue reading "I-95 Tanker Truck Wreck Near Fayetteville Spills 6,700 Gallons of Diesel Fuel" »