When truck drivers lose control of their vehicles, the results are often catastrophic. Even at relatively slow speeds, other drivers often have little or no chance of avoiding a careening truck. A recent truck accident in Northern Ohio killed two people after the truck driver failed to obey a reduced speed limit.
The tractor-trailer was headed east on State Route 30 in an area where the eastbound roadway is severely downhill. The speed for trucks is limited to 20 mph along this stretch, but police said that witnesses told them that the truck was traveling at a much greater speed. As the driver attempted to negotiate a downhill right turn, he lost control of the rig. The semi crossed over the double yellow centerline into the westbound lane and crashed into a pickup truck. The pickup truck was virtually demolished.
The big rig continued traveling east and bounced off the guardrail on the side of the westbound lane. The semi ended its wild trip by hitting a utility pole and crashing over the embankment. As the trailer slid down the embankment, it lifted the cab into the air. The cab struck a car traveling in the westbound lane. That car came to rest on the eastbound shoulder, where it caught fire. Both the driver of the car that caught fire and the driver of the truck were killed. The two men in the pickup truck suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Anyone who has suffered an injury or lost a loved one in a multi-vehicle accident may wish to consult a knowledgeable personal injury attorney for an evaluation of the facts and an estimate of the likelihood of recovering damages for medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering.
