Category: Truck Accidents

Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed that all heavy duty trucks and buses be required to be equipped with electronic stability control technology. This would protect against truck accidents, mainly rollovers. About 700 such accidents resulting in fatalities happen every year.

The trucking industry is not particularly keen on the idea, even though they appreciate the effort to help with safety, mainly because of the expense involved. Such systems are not cheap, and some believe that a less expensive form of the system would work just as well.

Here’s how it would work: Electronic stability control systems use engine torque and computer-controlled braking of the truck’s individual wheels. This would help a driver maintain control in the event of an emergency, helping keep the wheels on the ground. The trailer would also be prevented from swinging back and forth.

The NHTSA proposed that all commercial trucks be equipped with the technology in two to four years. Aside from the cost involved, which could amount to over $1,100 per vehicle, truck manufacturers also think that the stability control road test would go beyond what most truckers would experience while driving the vehicles.

The American Trucking Association does support the proposed mandate, although one of its officers says that the NHTSA should take note of the fact that many trucking companies are already investing in related safety technology that could prevent accidents, such as roll stability control systems.

Source: Detroit News, “Truck makers push back on U.S. rollover technology rule,” Jeff Plungis, July 26, 2012

•· Our firm handles similar situations to the one discussed in this post. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit our Knoxville semi truck accidents page.

The driver of a tractor trailer is facing possible homicide charges after a crash on Interstate 40 near Knoxville claimed a woman’s life. The fatal car accident happened when the driver’s big rig rolled over onto the woman’s car. He collided with two other vehicles as well, including another tractor trailer.

The man was driving a 2004 Volvo semi truck that was hauling furniture during the evening rush hour one day last week. He apparently first rear-ended another tractor trailer that had just re-entered the interstate after stopping at the eastbound scales near Campbell Station Road, according to Land Line. It’s not clear if the driver of the Volvo had also stopped there.

After rear-ending the other truck, the driver apparently sideswiped it as well, taking out its air tanks, and then passed it at a fast speed, according to the other truck driver. He says the driver of the Volvo veered onto the exit ramp and essentially “pushed people out of the way.”

That’s when he apparently rolled onto the Ford Focus driven by the 42-year-old woman, who was from Loudon. He also rear-ended a Saturn with a Kingston couple inside.

The investigation is not yet complete. The investigating officer says that no specific charge has been filed yet, but it’s expected that the Volvo truck driver, a 51-year-old man from Texas who works for Atlas SN Inc., will be facing some sort of homicide charge relating to the woman’s death.

Source: Land Line, “Trucker facing homicide charge in fatal crash on I-40,” Clarissa Kell-Holland, May 3, 2012

Last month, we told you about a trooper who barely survived after a fiery crash on Interstate 40. The officer was off on the shoulder doing paperwork in his vehicle when he was rear-ended by a truck driver who had apparently fallen asleep at the wheel. Officials have since launched an investigation regarding the driver responsible for the truck accident. And just this week, those who rendered aid to the officer were honored by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

A colonel who is the commander of the THP, along with deputy commissioners with the Department of Safety, presented certificates of recognition to five people on Monday. They include a Good Samaritan who was passing by when the crash occurred; paramedics who assisted at the scene; and two Knoxville Police Department officers. All were vital in saving the man’s life.

They all assisted in helping the officer immediately after the crash. They freed him from his vehicle as the fire spread inside. They probably saved him in the nick of time. At the ceremony, the THP commander said, “We just hope one day [the trooper] will be able to stand up here and thank them personally,” according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

The injured officer finally left intensive care last week. He is now recovering at a rehabilitation center. People are pulling together to help the man and his family pay his medical bills.

The truck driver, meanwhile, remains in prison. He is charged with reckless endangerment and aggravated vehicular assault.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, “THP honors those who came to trooper’s aid,” Matt Lakin, April 9, 2012

A Tennessee Highway Patrol sergeant barely survived after his cruiser was struck by a flatbed truck in Knoxville earlier this week. The reason he did: quick action from a nearby ambulance crew and a Knoxville police officer who arrived at the scene of the truck accident seconds after it happened.

The patrol officer was in his cruiser on the westbound shoulder of Interstate 40 near Walker Springs Road when the accident happened. He had just completed a traffic stop and was completing paperwork when his car was struck.

The car reportedly was hit in the rear, was shoved across three lanes of traffic, spun and hit the concrete median wall, where it caught fire. The ambulance crew that had been following about a quarter-mile behind the truck stopped immediately and attempted to free the trooper from the wreckage.

He was unconscious in his seat as the flames crept closer. He had to be cut from his seatbelt while the crew subdued the flames with fire extinguishers. By the time they got him out the flames had spread to the driver’s seat.

According to KnoxNews.com, he’s still in critical condition, having suffered a brain injury, second-degree burns to his back and neck, a fractured neck and spine, lung damage from smoke inhalation and broken ribs.

The driver of the truck, who assisted with the man’s rescue, probably fell asleep at the wheel, causing the crash. He’s looking at felony charges of reckless endangerment and aggravated assault. He may also face misdemeanor charges of failing to comply with the move-over law and failing to exercise due care.

Source: KnoxNews.com, “THP trooper’s rescue from fiery I-40 crash was ‘game of seconds’,” Hayes Hickman and Don Jacobs, March 14, 2012

When a big crash on the road in front of you occurs, it can not only be time-consuming to get around, but it can prove dangerous for drivers who don’t see it. Long delays that have left drivers virtually stranded after car accidents in Tennessee, and Knox County in particular, recently have led the Tennessee Department of Transportation to aim for faster cleanups.

A truck accident late last year, for example, left some drivers stranded for 12 hours overnight. That accident, which involved a potato truck on Interstate 40, prompted the commissioner of TDOT to issue a public promise to make cleanups faster.

He says changes have been implemented and guidelines have been set to avoid that type of situation in the future. Everyone’s responsibilities are said to be more “written out” so everyone knows what to do in the event of an accident. A TDOT spokesperson says that communication is key when these crashes occur.

One particular goal is to have all accidents cleared within 90 minutes. That may seem like a far cry from the 12 hours cleanup efforts took after the potato truck crash.

The goal is to not only cut down on time that delays other drivers, but to help ensure their safety as well. Perhaps the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security sums it up best. He tells Volunteer TV, “We have an obligation to the people of this state and the motorists traveling our roadways to improve our operations and communication.”

Source: Volunteer TV, “Plan released on how to clear accidents faster,” Kyle Grainger, Feb. 16, 2012

Imagine getting out of your car at a gas station and just narrowly missing getting hit by a tractor trailer rig, which then crashes into the building. One driver in Tennessee didn’t have to imagine it; he saw it with his own eyes.

The truck accident happened last week when the truck driver apparently exited the interstate and veered onto an uphill S-shaped ramp. For some reason, the tires left the pavement and the truck jumped a concrete island, crossed a road, drove over a grassy area and entered the store’s parking lot. That’s when the vehicle slammed into the gas station.

The 43-year-old driver was airlifted to Regional Medical Center in Memphis, while his 40-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital via ambulance. He was discharged, while the driver was listed in good condition following the accident. Two people inside the station were not hurt in the crash.

The man standing outside the Shell station apparently narrowly missed getting hit by the truck. According to Commercial Appeal, he was standing at the back of his vehicle when it was hit on the front left side.

The entire trailer ended up inside the gas station, while the cab went all the way out the back well and came to rest behind the building.

Investigators were trying to determine if there was a mechanical problem, or if the driver suffered a medical episode. There is no evidence that he applied the brakes all. It’s lucky no one was killed and more people were not hurt.

Source: Commercial Appeal, “Two injured as truck slams into gas station in Arlington,” Clay Bailey, Nov. 23, 2011

A strange accident on a Tennessee interstate this week left two drivers injured and many cattle dead. The truck accident occurred on Interstate 40 on Wednesday morning, according to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

The Jackson Sun reports that a 2008 Peterbilt that was carrying a load of cattle, to avoid hitting another vehicle that was changing lanes, went into the median of the highway. When the vehicle went back into the interstate lanes, it slid and rolled onto its side. A 2004 Freightliner that was hauling mail then smashed into the center of the truck.

Both of those drivers were injured and were transported to a local hospital. Another tractor trailer also collided with the cattle truck, but that driver was not injured and was able to leave the accident scene.

Several cattle died instantly after the truck was hit. Others suffered serious injuries and had to be euthanized. Crews working to clean up the accident say they were literally chasing cattle down the road, and some cows were captured in a nearby wooded area. The interstate lanes were reopened by the afternoon after about seven hours. About 40 people, including law enforcement officers, highway officials and wrecker drivers, worked to clear the road of debris and cattle.

It was not reported whether any charges were pending. The condition of the drivers was also not reported. A picture posted to the Jackson Sun’s website shows extensive damage to the cattle truck.

Source: Jackson Sun, “Truck crash on I-40 kills 20-30 cattle, delays westbound traffic for 7 hours,” Lauren Foreman, Nov. 16, 2011