Virginia State Police charged a Georgia truck driver with reckless driving after a tractor trailer crash on I-81 that killed a father and son.
The accident occurred at 6 am on May 7 as traffic was slowing in Frederick County, Virginia due to an earlier accident involving another truck on the shoulder of the highway a few miles ahead.
As police were investigating the first truck crash with personal injuries, the second truck came over a hill and ran into stopped traffic. He could not brake in time and smashed into a 2013 Mercedes. The driver of the Mercedes and his 12 year old son were killed on impact.
Our View
Our personal injury attorneys specializing in tractor trailer crashes in Virginia are saddened at the needless death of the two innocent people in this accident.
We would like to use this opportunity to remind tractor trailer drivers of the great importance of always being alert to what is going on around you while you are driving a big rig.
The site Smart-Trucking.com states that truck drivers must always be looking well down the road and around your rig while driving. Even though the trucker could not see the upcoming traffic due to the hill on I-81, that is no excuse, the website implies.
It notes that truck drivers have to be extra vigilant in heavy traffic and always have an escape route available if an emergency arises. It is possible that the tractor trailer driver could have checked traffic reports to see if there was any slowed traffic ahead. If he had done so, a father and son may still be alive.
The website also advises truck drivers to avoid heavy traffic if possible. The more traffic there is, the greater the chances of a serious truck accident.
Another great truck driving safety tip is to always leave a lot of room in front of the rig. If this requires the truck to drive 20 MPH slower than traffic, then so be it. Having plenty of space in front of your truck can prevent a fatal accident.
If truck drivers fail to follow essential safety rules, a terrible accident and deaths can result. Deaths due to truck driver negligence can lead to jail time, and also massive lawsuits. Our tractor trailer accident attorneys recently settled a $2.25 million wrongful death lawsuit where a trucking company was found negligent for the actions of their truck driver who sideswiped and killed another trucker.
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