By Richard Shapiro, Virginia Trucking Accident Attorney
The Virginia State Police stated that a 2010 Kenworth was going south on Rt. 17 when it ran off the right side of the road at 3 am. It is possible the driver nodded off behind the wheel. Then the driver overcorrected, and crossed the median into the northbound lanes, where it slammed into another tractor trailer head on.
The crash occurred near the intersection of Route 633, which is near Bealeton and Goldvein. Both drivers were dead at the scene.
We are sorry at the loss of life in this trucking accident. Tractor trailer accidents occur far too often, and as research shows, driver error is the most common cause of big rig wrecks. Commercial truckers are 10 times more likely to cause fatal accidents, as compared to road conditions, vehicle condition or weather.
Most often, fatigue, speeding, prescription drugs, and just plain driver inattention lead to fatal crashes.
Anyone whose family has been affected by a negligent truck driver should know that all truck drivers have federal limits on how many hours per day and per week they can drive. If it is possible that driver fatigue may have been a factor – such as when a trucker veers onto the shoulder late at night – it is possible that the driver could have violated his limit on hours behind the wheel.
All truck drivers have a sacred responsibility to drive safely and to never drive when they are too tired to do so.
You must be logged in to post a comment.