An entire family of four died in Lexington, North Carolina on May 16 when they were hit by a tractor trailer that apparently failed to slow down in a construction zone.
The North Carolina State Police reported that three adults and two children in total were killed in the six-vehicle wreck on I-95 in Robeson County, North Carolina, close to the South Carolina state line.
The state police stated that the wreck involving serious personal injury and death happened when a Volvo tractor trailer going south on I-95 in a work zone did not reduce speed. It slammed into a pickup truck, which then smashed into two SUVs.
The big rig then hit a tractor trailer, and was pushed into another truck. Gasoline in the tanker caught fire and the Volvo ran onto the shoulder and caught fire.
The North Carolina State Police identified the deceased family as a 32-year-old female, a 24-year-old male, and two daughters who were one and four years old.
Witnesses stated that the flames from the Volvo truck ignited fuel in other vehicles. The fire spread on the median grass and then ignited a wooded area by the interstate.
Three people in one of the SUVs had serious injuries, but they were reported in stable condition as of May 17.
The tractor-trailer driver also died.
Our View
All of our personal injury attorneys in North Carolina send our condolences to the families of those who died in this horrible tractor trailer accident.
This terrible truck accident is a grim example of what can happen when a tractor trailer driver fails to drive safely in a construction zone with traffic.
A tractor trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. If the truck is speeding and fails to slow for traffic, the resulting accident is often fatal.
We only can speculate at this time about the cause of the crash, but the police stated that the truck driver apparently failed to slow in a construction zone. There are many reasons why this could be the case, but it is likely that the trucker was simply not paying attention to the road in front of him.
Distracted driving is always a very dangerous thing, but with a tractor trailer at highway speed, it is often an utter catastrophe.
Far too many truck drivers are distracted behind the wheel by cell phones, the radio, food, drinks, passengers, or even by falling asleep.
All truckers need to watch the road while they are driving. Our wrongful death and personal injury attorneys often handle these tragic cases, such as this $2.25 million settlement.
Trucking companies can be sued if they or their driver is found negligent in civil court. We hope the families in this terrible truck accident consider legal action.
Comments for this article are closed.