Yesterday the South Carolina Highway Patrol identified the big rig driver that was involved in a fatal hit and run in Chester County SC this week.
State troopers reported that a 49 year old woman from Salisbury SC died when the tractor trailer slammed into the rear of an SUV on I-77. The truck failed to stop after the accident.
The woman was a passenger and died at the scene of the accident. The driver was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Troopers stated that they received several tips that led them to the driver who allegedly caused the crash – Stevie Wolfe Breland, 57, of Charleston.
As truck accident attorneys in Virginia, we are angered when tractor trailer drivers fail to take their duties to public safety seriously. There is no excuse for a big rig to rear end a car at high speed; the only explanations can be either driver inattention, brake failure, or falling asleep behind the wheel.
The CDL manual in the state of Virginia states that if a truck driver is in an accident and is not seriously injured, he or she must:
- Protect the accident area.
- Alert the police.
- Care for the injured.
The manual also states that all truck drivers must obey federal guidelines that establish hours of service and required off duty time.
Because this driver apparently disregarded his duties, he now faces criminal charges, and a potential wrongful death civil case.
We once represented a rear end crash victim who suffered serious neck injuries. He lost $52,000 per year of income earning capacity and had extensive medical bills. We used a vocational expert to evaluate the truck crash victim’s earning capacity losses and presented that evidence convincingly to the defendant’s attorney. The truck crash case was settled for $600,000.