Ohio residents may have heard about famous comedic actor Tracy Morgan and the tragic truck accident he was involved in recently in another state. The 30 Rock actor was severely injured in the accident and his comedy writer and mentor died as a result of the six-car crash.
According to the authorities, the truck that caused the accident didn’t slow for traffic ahead of him. Once he realized his mistake, he swerved to try to avoid the traffic but instead ended up hitting the actor’s limo bus from behind. Six cars were involved in the crash, but luckily no one else from the other cars was injured.
The criminal complaint claims that the 35-year-old truck driver had not slept for more than 24 hours when he was operating the truck. The reason for this assertion was not specified in the complaint, but it is against federal regulations to work more than 14 hours a day, of which only 11 can be behind the wheel. Drivers should have at least ten hours off between shifts to allow them enough time to sleep, according to federal regulations.
However, the American Trucking Association says no rules can prevent drivers from making bad choices. According to safety experts, these type of accidents are not out of the ordinary – they are part of a persistent problem of truck driver fatigue.
Where a truck driver in Ohio has made a wrong decision and caused an accident injuring or killing Ohio residents, the victims may be able to hold both the truck driver and the trucking company responsible for their role in the accident. Accountability is one way the victim or their loved ones may be able to deal with the unimaginable.
Source: Bristol Press, “Trucker in Morgan accident hadn’t slept,” David Porter, June 9, 2014
