Two people are reported dead in a six-vehicle crash last Friday in Knox County, Tennessee. The wreck involved a tractor trailer carrying a load of lumber at the intersection of Route 17 and Fitch Rd. in Washington TN.

The big rig rolled into a ditch, spilling its load. There also was a burned and charred car in a field related to the wreck, and another vehicle flew into a gully and could not be seen from the road.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Department stated that it appeared that the tractor trailer driver was at fault. It appeared that the big rig carrying lumber was going west on Augusta Road, and the other vehicles were going eastbound. The trailer of the rig started to slide into the opposing lane while it was going around a right hand corner at Fitch Road. The truck started to roll over onto the left side of the road. Several vehicles could not avoid being hit by the out of control trailer.

The driver of a 1998 Chrysler van was hit by the trailer and burst into flames as it flew into the nearby field. The driver died at the scene. The driver of another vehicle also died at the scene, and two others were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Our Virginia truck crash personal injury attorneys are sorry for the loss of life in this tragic accident. Too many truck crashes that kill innocent people are entirely preventable, if basic truck driving safety rules are obeyed.

The commercial driver’s manual of Virginia stresses the importance of truck drivers being very careful when making turns with a full load. Because of having to make wide turns and off tracking (trailer wheels follow a different path than tractor wheels), big rigs can easily hit other vehicles.

When turning a tractor trailer to the right, the Virginia CDL manual states that the driver should turn slowly to give yourself time to avoid problems. If you have to cross into an oncoming lane to make the right turn, you have to watch carefully for oncoming traffic.

When truck drivers make careless errors behind the wheel, deadly accidents happen, which can also lead to expensive wrongful death lawsuits. So, all truck drivers should be sure that they are driving safely, and obey all driving license safety rules.