Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Be alert and aware when driving.

Unfortunately, this warning came too late for two people in Dunn, North Carolina. On January 12, 2010, Bert Baytops of Newark, New Jersey and a female companion were fatally injured on Interstate 95 when apparently the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The car ran off the road and hit a guard rail and shot back on to the roadway where it rolled to a stop. A tractor trailer driving in the same direction unknowingly came upon the scene and could not stop in time before smashing into the car still in the middle of the roadway. The force of the impact caused the passenger to be thrown from the car. The car blew up with the driver still behind the wheel of the car. Interstate 95 was closed for over five hours.

Continue reading "Tractor-Trailer Crash on I-95 Causes Two Deaths" »

Imagine, one minute driving along the freeway without a care in the world, and the next minute looking in your rear view mirror and seeing nothing but the grill of a semi truck.

That’s exactly what happened to Carlos Perez of Geneva, New York, on August 21, 2009. Mr. Perez was driving his car with three other passengers, including two children, 12 and 5, on the New York State Thruway. Trucker Ronald J. Constable, Jr. of Earlton, New York was hauling kerosene on the same stretch of road. The trucker came upon Mr. Perez’ car which was cruising at 60 M.P.H. in the passing lane. He decided to "coax" Mr. Perez back into the right hand lane by maneuvering his tractor trailer within a few feet of the car. Mr. Perez responded to the tailgating maneuver by reducing the speed of his car. The truck driver then decided to coax Mr. Perez even further by ramming his Kerosene filled truck into the back of the Perez’ car several times. Mr. Perez pulled over to the side of the Thruway and Mr. Constable followed. Mr. Constable got out of his truck and approached Mr. Perez who was still seated in his car. He then proceeded to beat and choke Mr. Perez in front of the two children.

At this point a passing trooper saw the incident and stopped. The trucker was charged with felony reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child, and harassment.

Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGE8LzRaySk

Proceed with caution here, but this video captures the truly awful consequences that arise when drivers do not look out for the other guy and operate their vehicles safely.

In the aftermath of major collisions, we help people begin to pick up the pieces and put their lives back together. I hope and pray that you are never in this situation, but if you are, be sure to get the help you need.

Continue reading "*** WARNING: THIS IS A VERY GRAPHIC VIDEO *** Texting While Driving PSA" »

If anyone needs a reminder about just how dangerous truck accidents can be to the public, read this. On July 15, 2009 in Hazel Park, Michigan, a tractor-trailer exploded under an overpass causing the overpass itself to literally melt and disintegrate. The driver of a car was on a winding section of Interstate 75 when it lost control and spun into a passing semi. The semi was hauling over 13,000 gallons of fuel. It lost control and flipped, causing a second tractor-trailer carrying produce to crash as well.

The fuel tanker collided with an overpass rail, and fuel began to spew out over the highway. The fuel caught fire, sending the truck into explosive flames which began burning the overpass. The heat was so intense that the overpass began to melt and fell on top of the already burning big-rig. The collapse caused another, even bigger explosion according to passersby. Fortunately all three drivers escaped with only minor injuries and no deaths were reported.

Boy, were they lucky. This could easily have been an awful tragedy.

Continue reading "Michigan Big Rig Wreck Causes Overpass to Melt" »

On June 24, 2009 the committee that controls the highway and trucking issues in the U.S. House of Representatives (the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit) will be reviewing the language contained in the Surface Transportation Act of 2009.

This is a prelude to having the bill passed by Congress later this year. At this point, there is no language included in the bill that would allow increases to truck size and weight. Unfortunately, it appears that Representative Michael Michaud is trying to amend the act to add language that was also included in H.R. 1799 which allowed drastic increased truck weight.

Larger trucks are the last thing we need. They don’t stop easily and tip over more frequently. Their already deficient break systems will fail if more weight is added. The heavier trucks will inflict more damage to roadways and bridges. Heavier trucks will require more fuel consumption and create higher pollution levels.

Call your member of Congress today and urge him or her to oppose any increase in the weight of tractor trailers on our highways. They are dangerous enough as it is - as the daily tragedies on the roads attest.

Continue reading "The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009" »

On June 2, 2009, Christine Osterholtz of Lakeland, Florida was heading eastbound on Interstate 4 when she fell asleep. She was traveling in the center lane and her vehicle drifted into the far right lane into the pathway of a tractor trailer being driven by Michael Dacunto of Spring Hill. The impact to the left side of the truck caused both vehicles to slide across the entire breadth of I-4 and land on top of the guardrail separating them from the oncoming traffic. The tractor trailer flipped sideways and landed on top of Christine’s car pinning her and her car completely under the truck. Luckily the both drivers were taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center with minor injuries.

Continue reading "Driver Falls Asleep at the Wheel and Ends up Under a Tractor-Trailer" »

According to reports, on June 3, 2009, four construction workers were on the way to their homes in Greenville, South Carolina, when the Ford pick-up they were in veered into oncoming traffic hitting the cab of tractor trailer head on. The collision caused a third vehicle to crash into the back of the big rig which was transporting a backhoe on a lowboy trailer. The driver of the pick-up, Jesus Zamora-Barrera, and his brother Juan died at the scene. Greenville County Deputy Kent Green stated that it appeared Jesus was wearing his seatbelt, but that the point of impact appeared to be the driver’s side of the truck. The other two passengers in the pick-up were severely injured and transported to Greenville Memorial Hospital. Fortunately, the driver of the big rig and the third vehicle' driver both appear to be uninjured.

Continue reading "Tractor Trailer versus Ford Pick-Up in Greenville, South Carolina" »

On May 20, 2009, James Bush of Smyrna, Georgia lost his life when the big rig he was driving side-swiped another 18 wheeler near mile marker 158 in Interstate 20. Mr. Bush worked for the Pepsi Cola Company and was driving westbound on I-20 when he came upon Kenneth Woodfork of Doraville, Georgia, whose truck had broken down in the emergency lane. Unfortunately, Mr. Bush hit the disabled truck and lost control of his vehicle which veered off a steep embankment and then crashed into a stand of trees. It was later determined that Mr. Bush was not wearing his seatbelt and suffered extreme blunt force trauma to his head causing his death. Fortunately Mr. Woodfork only suffered minor injuries.

Two employees were killed and a third injured in an April 22 fueling mishap at Rutland Timber and Trucking, a company near Orangeburg, South Carolina. The employees were using a homemade fuel pump powered by the truck’s battery to move diesel fuel from a storage tank to a truck - when a massive explosion was touched off. The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Department and SLED (the State Law Enforcement Division) investigators have since determined that the diesel fuel contained an amount of gasoline. This cleared up one part of the investigation - diesel fuel alone is generally considered incapable of exploding. Still unanswered is how the gasoline came to be mixed with the diesel fuel. Thanks to the Orangeburg Times and Democrat for reporting. Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones in this tragedy.

Continue reading "Explosion at Orangeburg, South Carolina Trucking Company Takes the Lives of Two Employees" »

Two Holly Spring citizens barely escaped death when a dump truck driver lost control and overturned onto their Honda Civic.

Edmund Theodore Jackson, a resident of New Haven, Connecticut, was driving his dump trunk down Davis Road near Farm Pond Road when he lost control and veered off onto the right shoulder. Captain Everett Clendenin of the North Carolina Highway Patrol explained that Jackson then overcompensated and caused the truck to cross the center median into oncoming traffic where Kara Walden Benton was driving with Chad Michael Benton in a Honda Civic. Ms. Benton avoided a head-on collision by driving onto the shoulder of the road but still could not escape the dump truck which then tipped over directly on to the car. Chad Benton was able to quickly escape the vehicle before being treated at WakeMed but Ms. Benton was pinned inside the car for nearly two hours (!) before she was rescued and treated.

Continue reading "Dump Truck Tips Over Onto Honda Civic in Raleigh, North Carolina" »

A tractor trailer truck exploded into flames after it veered off an I-77 overpass onto Wilson Boulevard in Columbia, South Carolina. The truck overturned which caused about 75 gallons of diesel fuel to spill out over the engine and ignite. The truck driver escaped certain death when two Richland County deputies and a nearby motorist pulled him to safety. The fire caused damage to one support pillar and traffic was rerouted while the safety of the overpass was assessed.

Continue reading "Truck Plummets from Interstate 77 Overpass onto Wilson Boulevard in Columbia, South Carolina" »

A single vehicle incident on Interstate 40 in Raleigh, North Carolina, claimed the life of the driver of a tractor-trailer on April 27. The truck and box trailer burned after coming to rest at the outside shoulder. Several brave witnesses tried to rescue the driver from the wreckage, but were unable to free him before the fire engulfed the truck. Photographs from the scene show skid marks leading up to a jackknifed tractor-trailer. This suggests the driver may have slammed on his brakes, which may have led to the trailer jackknifing into the fuel tank. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident, however. Thanks to The News & Observer and WTVD for reporting.

Continue reading "Fatal Truck Accident in Raleigh, North Carolina" »