Rear-end Tractor-Trailer Crashes are Deadly

Fellow injuryboard.com blogger Brett Emison recently posted an article entitled “Tractor Trailer Crash Kills 3-Year-Old Boy In McIntosh County, Georgia.” In that blog he cites a news report detailing that a semi truck rear-ended a minivan on I-95 in McIntosh County, Georgia killing three-year-old Sean Thornton and injuring five others. The news report showed a gruesome photograph of the carnage a tractor-trailer can cause. Truckingaccidents360.com is citing a report that states

The accident occurred when heavy traffic forced the family’s vehicle to slow down to about 5 mph when the 18 wheeler, driven by Willie Hill, 50 years old from Jacksonville, FL, slammed into the back of the minivan. The force of the accident caused the vehicles to become entangled and to be shoved off the roadway into the woods by the side of the road, knocking down a couple of trees along the way.

According to witnesses, the big rig was travelling about 70 mph at the time and never braked before plowing into the van. On june 27, 2009, Oklahoma endured a similar crash where the truck driver was driving at a high rate of speed and plowed into stalled cars along the Will Rogers Turnpike. Over 10 people died.

I wanted to add some commentary to what has already been stated. I understand that much of the facts of the collision are still being investigated but I wanted to touch on some interesting commentary from a newsletters I obtained via the internet that were written by a major trucking company and have subsequently disappeared from their website (the carrier will go nameless). It appears that much of the commentary was written by company safety directors and I think is informative on rear-end semi collisions.

Statement No. 1: Rear-end collisions are always a costly accident and that 99.9% of Rear-end accidents are preventable and occur by following too closely.

Statement No. 2: There is no acceptable reason to have a Rear-end accident.

Statement No. 3: Factors causing Rear-end accidents are a) cab distractions including reading a map, using the radio or speaking on a cell phone, b) not keeping an appropriate following distance, c) taking one’s eyes off the road, d) improperly scanning ahead and e) eating.

Rear-end collisions with a semi are deadly. While our thoughts and prayers go out to the family who lost the companionship of their baby, we hope that others can learn through their grief to avoid these horrible collisions.

If you or loved one has been injured or a loved one killed in an auto accident, McIntyre Law, P.C. has the experience and knowledge needed to successfully handle your auto accident case. Contact us immediately after an auto accident and we will discuss the situation with you and come up with a plan of action to help you get compensation for your injuries, property damage or a loved one’s wrongful death. Visit www.mcintyrelaw.com or call toll free 1-866-917-5200 to discuss your case and find out the best course of action to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.