Archive for the ‘Semi-Truck Crashes’ Category

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Feds Close Doors of Trucking Company After Truck Killed 11 in Van on Kentucky Interstate

September 2nd, 2010 by admin

Last March, we posted the sad, sad story of a van filled with happy family and friends traveling to a wedding, who were on the road only 15 minutes when a tractor-trailer veered over the median and crashed into them.  11 of the van passengers, and the big rig truck driver, were killed.

The collision was head-on, truck and van — and the cable barriers dividing the two sides of highway were of no help whatsover, according to eyewitnesses.

This week, it was revealed that the federal government ordered the trucking company responsible for that tractor-trailer truck, Hester, Inc. of Fayetteville, Alabama, to be shut down.

The actual order, coming down from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, actually dates back to June 2010, but the public only became aware of the ruling after a Freedom of Information Act request allowed it to be release to the public at large.

Apparently, truck driver fatigue may have been a factor in the Kentucky crash (which happened at 5:30 am), as the FMCSA Order apparently based the Hester closing on a failure to fix certain violations, among them Hester’s drivers being allowed on the roads longer than the HOS limits.

To view a photograph of the tragic crash site itself and see for yourself the tremendous power of a big rig when it collides with a minivan, click here.

Posted in Other Jurisdictions, Semi-Truck Crashes, Serious Personal Injury, Transportation, Wrongful Death | No Comments »

How Dangerous is I-70? Just This Monday, Three Big Rig Crashes Before Noon. Yes, People Died.

August 9th, 2010 by admin

Breaking news to begin our workweek: a domino effect of big rig crashes on a single stretch of Illinois highway. Bright and early Monday morning, Illinois State Police were reporting three separate crashes, all involving commercial trucks, along Interstate 70 near Highland, Illinois.

Two people burned to death at one accident scene. Traffic diverted because the freeway was impassable, going in either direction.

Semi Truck Wreck No. 1 Happens Around 7 am Early on Monday Morning

Just as many commuters were hitting the roads to drop kids off at school, or to grab a fast-food breakfast and coffee on the way into work, a tractor-trailer crashed on Interstate 70 and its entire load of food fell upon the asphalt. The truck driver was taken to the hospital; there were no other injuries.

Big Rig Crash No. 2 Triggered by the First Wreck

Since the roadway was blocked by the fallen food cargo, Interstate 70 traffic was forced to a standstill until I-70 could be cleared. Around 2 miles away, in this frustration, three semi trucks and a pick up truck crashed in the westbound lanes. Sadly, one of the big rigs burst into flames, and two of the truckers died in the truck fire.

Tractor-Trailer Truck Accident No. 3 Follows Shortly

Across the roadway, and near to the scene of the flaming big rig accident, a motorcycle crashed into a semi truck. The motorcycle rear-ended the tractor-trailer: however, amazingly, no one was seriously injured in this wreck. The truck driver was not hurt; the motorcyclist suffered only minor injury.

That is FIVE big rigs in three wrecks on I-70 within a few hours’ time. What’s Being Done?

It’s well known that Interstate 70 is one of main big rig roads in this country, rivaling I -80/94 through Northwest Indiana just south of Chicago: I-70 carries a huge amount of truck traffic through Illinois and Indiana, and beyond.

Last year, Missouri was pondering creating 200 miles of I-70 as “truck only” traffic – moving the big rigs into separate lanes, as well as giving them their own interchanges and bridges. However, the Missouri Department of Transportation did not get much support for the plan and it’s come to naught.

Perhaps Illinois and Indiana should consider a similar plan?

Posted in Semi-Truck Crashes, Serious Personal Injury, Transportation | No Comments »

We’re Providing Free Copy of Car, Truck, and SUV Crashworthiness and Damage Risk Report

July 23rd, 2010 by admin

Federal law (49 CFR 582) provides that car dealers must give their customers specific information regarding how safe their products are on the road. As described by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration), dealers must provide data regarding both damage susceptibility and crashworthiness for all their makes and models of passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, light trucks, and vans.

NHTSA Bulletin Must Be “Made Available” by Car Dealers to Customers

To assist the car dealers with compliance, NHTSA creates a pamphlet containing the current information for motor vehicles being sold in the United States, and provides it as a free download to the dealerships on the agency website. The dealers are then required to “make [them] available” to potential buyers.

How prominent these booklets are placed within a dealership, or how often a car salesman actually provides the customer with notice of the NHTSA bulletin, is up for debate. It’s great information if the vehicle ranks well in the statistics; it’s not a great sales tool for those cars that rank badly. Last time you visited a dealership, did you see the NHTSA bulletin?

Booklet Title: Comparison of Differences in Insurance Costs for Passenger Cars, Station Wagons/Passenger Vans, Pickups, and Sport Utility Vehicles On the Basis of Damage Susceptibility

What NHTSA booklet gives the car owner, or car purchaser, is a comparison of insurance costs for different makes and models – but the agency warns that the data should not be read as the agency’s perception of the relative safety of any particular motor vehicle for its occupants. Right.

Without independently verifying the data, NHTSA uses statistics from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI)’s annual Insurance Collision Report, and then reports the collision loss experience of motor vehicles in terms of the average loss payment / insured vehicle year.

How to Read the Data

When reading the data, the key is how the vehicle varies from the average number of 100. A rating of 140 is given to a vehicle with accident loss history that is 40% higher than average for all the vehicles of similar type (SUVs compared to SUVs, etc.). Contrarily, a rank of 90 is given to a vehicle that has an accident loss history that is 10% lower than the average.

Obviously, the lower the number, the safer the car appears to be. (For more details on car safety, check out safecar.gov.)

Copy of the NHTSA Bulletin Provided Here

Dealership compliance isn’t the issue here. Making sure that our readers have the information they need regarding the cars they drive – and are thinking about driving – is very important to us.

Accordingly, Kenneth J. Allen & Associates Law Firm provides a copy of the NHTSA Crashworthiness and Damage Risk of Motor Vehicles being sold in this country today, for free, here as a .pdf download.

Posted in Airplane & Train Crashes, Auto Accidents, Bus Crashes, Defective Products, Motorcycle Accidents, Semi-Truck Crashes, Serious Personal Injury, Transportation, Wrongful Death | No Comments »

Winamac’s Brittany Crase, 18, Dies in Pulaski County Big Rig Crash Over July Fourth Weekend

July 14th, 2010 by admin

Over the Fourth of July Weekend, Starke County teen Brittany Crase died in a tragic big rig – car collision at the intersection of County Road 200 North and County Road 500 West in Pulaski County.

Brittany was not driving.  She was one of three passengers in a 1995 Dodge Intrepid driven by her friend, Ashley Lovins, 18, of North Judson.  Lovins was airlifted to a Fort Wayne hospital from the accident site; the other two passengers were also taken to nearby hospitals for medical care.

Brittany Chase had just graduated from North Judson-San Pierre High School this spring.  She was 18 years old.

What Happened to Cause This Semi –Truck Crash?

The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the cause of this truck wreck.  So far, the Pulaski Sheriff has reported to the media that the semitrailer was trying to turn onto County Road 500 West, from eastbound County Road 200 North, when the fatal crash happened.

The professional truck driver Randall Mitchell, 62 (who lives in the Winamac area), has reportedly told police that he checked for traffic several times coming toward him and from the rear.  The truck driver says he did not see Brittany’s vehicle as it was heading toward him on County Road 200 North. Professional truck drivers are required to maintain 360 degrees of awareness around their tractor-trailer rigs. Why did he not see the car?

No word yet on whether or not anyone was speeding.  No word yet on whether or not drugs or alcohol played a part in this event.  Nothing reported on sleep deprivation, highway hypnosis, road conditions, mechanical failures, or any of the other usual suspects in semi-truck crashes.

There’s simply nothing yet on why this wreck happened last week, and why Brittany died. What we do know is a young life was lost in a tragic crash. We also know that professional truck drivers with proper skills and training are in the best position to prevent crashes from occurring.

Truck-Car Collisions Are Known for Their Fatalities

While Brittany Chase died at the scene, big rig driver Randall Mitchell was not injured.  As we’ve discussed before, this is not a surprising result when you consider a collision between a 3500 lb. car and an 80,000+ pound semi-truck, both of which are moving at some level of speed.

Commercial trucks on our roadways may be a necessity for the marketplace, moving goods and products across the country – but they are a notorious danger for those vehicles sharing the roads with them. Odds of a fatality in any semi-truck crash are high. Given the high risk posed by semi-trucks, it is critically important that the motor carriers who employ them take steps to ensure that the professional truck drivers working for them are well-trained and are consistently complying with the trucking safety regulations.

Be careful out there.

Posted in Semi-Truck Crashes, Serious Personal Injury, Transportation | No Comments »

Trucking Companies – Learning More about Motor Carriers Involved in Fatal Big Rig Crashes

June 10th, 2010 by admin

Two weeks ago, this blog posted about the death of New Yorker Julie Stratton. Truck driver Thomas Wallace recently pled guilty to second degree manslaughter after admittedly driving 27 hours on 4 hours sleep (a blatant HOS violation) and crashing into Mrs. Stratton’s car as it sat disabled on the side of the road, awaiting roadside assistance.

Last week, there was a post on a tragedy much closer to home. Grovertown’s Adele Nielsen died in a tragic accident at Indiana 49 and Vale Park Road, where the truck driver has admitted to law enforcement investigators that he “dozed off” shortly before rear-ending Mrs. Nielsen’s sedan, shoving it over 450 yards before coming to a stop atop the car itself.

Within two weeks, two tragic examples of sleep deprivation and its impact upon commercial truck drivers and those who share the roadways with them. But what about the trucking companies?

Trucking Companies and Big Rig Crashes

News stories tend to focus upon the people involved in a crash. Media coverage barely mentions the carrier involved in the trucking accident. However, it’s clear that under the law and in the eyes of federal and state agencies, the carrier itself is a key player in any trucking accident – especially when the wreck involves the trucking company’s sleep deprived truck drivers.

So, what can we learn about the trucking companies involved in New York’s Julie Stratton big rig crash and Indiana’s Adele Nielsen semi truck fatality?

FMCSA Online — S & H Transportation

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provides the following online information regarding S & H Transportation, Inc., which was reported to be the trucking company involved in the Indiana crash.

Headquartered at 475 Pearl Drive, O’Fallon, Missouri, S & H Transportation is an interstate motor carrier, operating since 1981. It operates 179 semi tractors and has 220 truck drivers. The company traveled 19,945,157 miles in 2008.

S & H Transportation Reported Violations and Fines

On May 7, 2009, an investigation into logging violations was closed and settled. S & H Transportation settled 62 counts relating to false record of duty status (driver logs). The settlement required S & H to pay $44,640.00 fine.

In the 30 months ending April 23, 2010, S & H Transportation:

a. was reported to have been involved in 40 crashes (8 were in Indiana; 13 in Illinois);
b. 30 of its drivers were found to be “Out of Service” during commercial driver inspections;
c. 173 moving violations (including 6 for failure to obey traffic control devices; 1 failure to yield right of way; 11 following too closely; and 149 for speeding); and
d. 42 of its vehicles were found to be “Out of Service” during commercial vehicle inspections (of those OOS inspections, 27 involved brake components).

FMCSA Online — Millis Transfer

FMCSA’s Company Snapshot of Millis Transfer provides the following online information regarding the trucking company involved in the New York crash.

Headquartered at 121 Gebhardt Rd, Black River Falls, Wisconsin, Millis Transfer is an interstate motor carrier, operating 724 semi trucks with 728 truck drivers. The company traveled 79,000,000 miles in 2008.

In the 24 months ending June 7, 2010, Millis Transfer:

a. was reported to have been involved in 75 crashes;
b. 73 of its drivers were found to be “Out of Service” during commercial driver inspections;
c. the company was cited for 173 moving violations; and
d. 42 of its vehicles were found to be “Out of Service” during commercial vehicle inspections.

Let’s hope these incidents are a wake-up call to these trucking companies and other motor carriers that safety must be a priority.

Posted in Illinois Wrongful Death, Indiana Wrongful Death, Other Jurisdictions, Semi-Truck Crashes, Transportation, Wrongful Death | No Comments »

Five Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Drivers and the USA Trucking Industry

June 7th, 2010 by admin

1. How many trucks are on the roads today?

There are over 15,500,000 commercial trucks driving USA roadways today. Around 2,000,000 are tractor trailers.

2. How much money does the trucking industry make?

It’s estimated that the annual revenue for the entire trucking industry is around $255,500,000,000.00 ($255.5 billion). That’s the total. Common Carriers take up about $98 billion of that total; private trucking fleets make around $121 billion each year.

3. How many trucking companies are there?

There are around half a million (500,000) trucking companies in the United States today; most are very small (approximately 80% operate 1 – 6 trucks).

Trucking companies in Canada and Mexico also operate their semi rigs here in the United States. They are also expected to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations when operating within the United States.

4. How many professional truck drivers are there?

There are 3,500,000 estimated professional truck drivers; however, only 1 in 9 is an independent driver. Most work for companies.

5. What do professional truck drivers get paid?

In the trucking industry, pay is calculated by miles driven: the national average shows a truck driver getting around 30 cents per mile, tallying to around $32,000 annual gross income. For those that own their own trucks, there’s more profit. The majority of per-mile charge for transporting freight goes to the trucking company.

Sources: TruckingInfo.Net; FMCSA

Posted in Semi-Truck Crashes, Transportation | No Comments »

Trucker Charged With Manslaughter in Big Rig Crash Admits Guilt, Takes a Plea

May 27th, 2010 by admin

Second-degree manslaughter was the charge that commercial truck driver Thomas Wallace pled to in a New York criminal court this week, telling the judge that he was guilty of causing 33 year old Julie Stratton’s death.

That’s right: a big rig trucker involved in a truck crash on a busy freeway was not only charged with a crime, he’s now going to serve 5 to 15 years in a state prison for his actions.

What made this truck wreck different, taking it from a tragic accident to a serious crime?

It’s not controverted that truck driver Tom Wallace, driving a tractor-trailer for Wisconsin’s Millis Transfer, was exceeding HOS regulations.  He had been driving 27 hours on 4 hours sleep.  Sleep deprivation alone is a known cause of semi truck – car crashes in this country.

Perhaps to fight boredom, maybe in an attempt to stay awake, trucker Wallace was not just listening to music or drinking coffee: facts revealed that he was busy watching pornography on a laptop computer when the crash happened.

Apparently, the combination of HOS violations and watching streaming porn while driving a heavy big rig was enough for the local district attorney to decide to press criminal charges.

The Victim’s Car was Stalled on the Side of the Road

Julie Stratton died in that truck accident on the New York Thruway.  A 33 year old wife and mother of 2 boys – ages 3 and 1 – she had parked her car on the side of the freeway after her car had hit a deer, and had been disabled in that accident.

Mrs. Stratton had already called 911, and was waiting for help to arrive when the accident occurred.

What Happens Now?

Right now, trucker Wallace is out on bail and spending time with his family in Ohio.  He’ll be sentenced on September 1st, and start serving his sentence immediately thereafter.  With good behavior, he should be released in a few years.

No word yet on the civil lawsuit for wrongful death that has been, or undoubtedly will be, filed.

Posted in Other Jurisdictions, Semi-Truck Crashes, Serious Personal Injury, Transportation, Wrongful Death | 1 Comment »

What is Highway Hypnosis?

May 24th, 2010 by admin

Highway Hypnosis is a dangerous and real driving hazard that occurs when someone has been driving a vehicle along a long stretch of roadway for an extended period of time. One state agency has described Highway Hypnosis as being caused by “the sameness of road and traffic.”  The driver becomes unaware and unable to respond due to a semi-hypnotic mental state brought about by the monotony of a long drive.

Sometimes, victims fall asleep at the wheel.  Sometimes, victims of Highway Hypnosis seem to be awake behind the wheel, but they’re not fully functional: they’ve zoned out, and aren’t alert or aware of what is going on around them.

Highway Hypnosis isn’t new.  Back in 1957, engineers designed the Indiana Toll Road with curves every two miles or so, in an effort to combat the problem.  Still, as long as drivers (including truckers) spend long stretches of time behind the wheel on America’s highways, highway hypnosis will be a problem.

Suggestions to avoid Highway Hypnosis include:

  • don’t eat a big meal before starting out on a long drive;
  • stop every couple of hours to stretch your legs;
  • don’t drive during the hours that you’re normally sleeping;
  • talk to your passengers; and
  • open the window, get fresh air circulating through the car.

And before you think that Highway Hypnosis sounds silly – or that it’s something that just doesn’t happen all that often, think again.

It happens much more often than people realize: in fact, within 24 hours of these words being written, a teenager crashed his SUV into the back of an 18-wheeler in San Antonio, Texas — witnesses said he made no effort to stop.  The boy’s lower body was wedged underneath the SUV’s dashboard, impaling him on the brake pedal.  Police at the scene have already labelled the boy another victim of Highway Hypnosis.

Be careful out there.

Posted in Auto Accidents, Bus Crashes, Motorcycle Accidents, Semi-Truck Crashes, Serious Personal Injury, Transportation, Wrongful Death | No Comments »

Bad Brakes Pull 282 Big Rigs Off Pennsylvania Roads – In One Day

May 13th, 2010 by admin

Imagine 282 Semi Trucks parked end to end — that ribbon of big rigs would stretch a long, long, LONG way down the side of any road. If each truck averages 75 feet in length, then that’s FOUR MILES of trucks we’re talking about here.

Four Miles of Truck Stopped in Pennsylvania This Week

This week, that’s exactly the number of big rigs that Pennsylvania law enforcement authorities took off the roads when they decided to check air brakes of commercial trucks as they were moving down the Pennsylvania roadways. There were 282 trucks driving along with bad brakes.

Imagine how dangerous this is – those heavy vehicles with faulty brakes moving a high speeds. And, it’s a common problem: pro truck drivers know that brakes out of adjustment are the most common reason that big rig drivers get cited.

Operation Air Brake

Operation Air Brake is the brainchild of CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance), and different states are participating by doing state-wide air brake checks at different times. Pennsylvania did its part. Wisconsin, for example, will be inspecting semi trucks on its roads during the week of May 5th.

It would be nice to assume that Pennsylvania is an anomaly, but the reality is that most big trucks haul loads across several state lines. Which means that there are a lot of trucks on the Indiana and Illinois roads right now that are dangerous because of bad brakes.

282 trucks probably isn’t a fluke — it’s probably a pretty good clue to the reality of the roads in America today.

Posted in Semi-Truck Crashes, Serious Personal Injury, Wrongful Death | No Comments »

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Auto-Communication: Life-Saver or Big Brother?

May 10th, 2010 by admin

The U.S. Department of Transportation is very excited about a new technology that is already being tested on commercial trucks and other vehicles riding on America’s roadways: V2V communication.

Built by a team of U.S. DOT researchers and a private research group headed up by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), the techno-scientists and engineers have built and are currently field testing what they are calling an “integrated vehicle-based safety system.”

An Integrated Vehicle Based Safety System: V2V

IN V2V, the technology currently in place for OnStar and other similar services is being used to allow a vehicle on the road — say a big rig — to automatically notify other vehicles on the road when it’s about to change lanes, change speed, avoid something on the road, etc.  It’s not clear whether or not the drivers have input here, or whether or not they give permission for this communication exchange or even have knowledge that it’s happening.

What the V2V System Does - Right Now

Currently, the V2V technology is limited to providing forward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW), lane change warning (LCW), and curve speed warning (CSW) functions. The system warns the driver of these dangers, enabling the driver to avoid an accident – in theory.

No word as yet on when (not if, but when – the technology is there) the system will be expanded to do things that take control from the driver: automatic breaking, for example, or automatically slowing the vehicle down – or even stopping it. OnStar can do this now, and does, when the vehicle is being driven without permission.

Optimistic Projections – V2V Will Stop 48%

USDOT studies are pointing to studies claiming that implementing V2V technology on the roadways will decrease accidents by 48%. That’s cutting the amount of trucking accidents and other motor vehicle accidents in half.

Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it?

There’s something about having technology that is able to control traffic streams that gives one pause. And that’s what is being developed here.

Perhaps if more money and time were being placed into driver education and training, roadway maintenance, etc., this technology wouldn’t be engendering such excitement.

Posted in Auto Accidents, Bus Crashes, Motorcycle Accidents, Semi-Truck Crashes, Serious Personal Injury, Transportation, Wrongful Death | No Comments »

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