Raleigh, North Carolina Gas Tanker Fire Injures Driver
A gasoline tanker merging onto westbound I-440 from Interstate 40 overturned and exploded just before 1 a.m. on August 26, 2008 in Raleigh, North Carolina. A witness reported that the tanker was clearly speeding when the trucker lost control of his rig. The tanker truck then reportedly overturned, skidded across the highway, and righted itself just before exploding into flames. The wreck ejected the trucker, who sustained severe injuries. Authorities closed I-440 for several hours. The enormous fire was so intense it scorched trees along the highway.
As I have noted several times on this blog, highway interchanges are frequently the location for big trucks overturning. I make it a practice to give all vehicles, particularly trucks, extra room on interchanges to give myself more time to react to speed changes and unusual behavior. Very often, however, other drivers just don't have time to react to poor driving by truck drivers, and severe injuries can result.
Be careful out there!
Thanks to Charlotte Observer for reporting.
Attorney Michael Jeffcoat represents people and families after a serious injury or a preventable fatality. He is available to answer questions in the aftermath of an incident. Just call 1-800-827-7898 or contact us through our website.
