The large size of semitrailer trucks and tractor-trailers means that truck accidents often lead to serious or even life-threatening injuries. A recent accident shows how dangerous these vehicles can be when they are moving in close proximity to one another.
According to Berks-Lehigh regional police, a 54-year-old truck driver from Reinholds, Pennsylvania, was killed in a collision between two tractor trailers on Oct. 4. The collision occurred in Upper Macungie Township shortly after 6 a.m.
Police report that the driver had parked his tractor-trailer on the shoulder of Morris Court near Ruppsville Road. He had exited the vehicle and was reportedly standing between the cab and trailer when another tractor-trailer, driven by a 44-year-old man from Oswego, New York, hit the parked trailer from behind.
The impact pinned the driver of the parked truck under its rear wheels, where he was found by police. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Crash investigators are still trying to determine why the driver was not in his truck, and an autopsy is still pending to determine the exact cause of death.
The family members of someone who has died in a truck accident should use caution if they receive pressure from insurance companies to accept a settlement. It is important that they learn about their legal rights to pursue a wrongful death claim.
Source: The Morning Call, “Coroner: Truck driver steps out of rig, killed in collision,” Emily Opilo, Oct. 4, 2012