Sometimes drivers on interstate freeways who are surprised by the sudden deceleration of the vehicle in front of them will seek to avoid a collision by using the shoulder of the highway as a bailout lane. But as a recent fatal accident in Texas has shown, this is not always a safe tactic to attempt.
The accident was caused as a result of debris on the roadway on Interstate 30 in Morris County. This caused vehicles to slow down, presumably to avoid hitting the objects.
Two tractor-trailers were coming up behind the slowing cars. Both attempted to veer off the road in an attempt to avoid colliding with vehicles ahead of them, but their efforts resulted in failure: One of the 18-wheelers hit the other from behind, which in turn caused the trailer of the other 18-wheeler to strike a pickup truck.
The driver of the truck that rear-ended the other died in the accident. The driver of the other truck, as well as the people who were in the pickup truck, were all injured, although they are expected to survive.
While the news account of this accident does not go into the fault, if any, of the truck drivers involved, generally speaking rear-end car accidents seldom occur in the absence of some negligence.
Drivers of any kind of vehicle, whether a passenger car or a commercial truck, are expected to allow sufficient space ahead of them to slow down to avoid such a collision, and to be observant of traffic conditions in front of them so as to see and react in a timely manner when cars ahead are slowing down.
When accidents result in serious injuries or a fatality, it is crucial for the victims and their families to be aware of their right to get answers about what caused the accident. It might be recklessness, negligence or simply a fluke accident, but finding out what happened and why can help those affected by the crash understand their legal options.
Source: KYTX, “Truck driver killed in 3 vehicle accident in ETX,” Dave Goldman, Aug. 28, 2014
