Fiery truck crash leaves 5 dead on Indiana interstate
On behalf of Steven Crell of Steve Crell Law posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, August 13, 2015.
Truck drivers are required by federal regulations to limit the number of hours they drive. The simple reason for this is to keep tired and fatigued drivers off the road. The prospect of a sleepy truck driver on an interstate highway, with a fully loaded semi-truck barreling down the road at 70 miles per hour should frighten anyone.
We may never know if the driver of a truck that crashed on southbound I-65 near Lafayette last month was drowsy or was distracted by a cellphone or other illegal electronic device.
What we do know is that he failed to decelerate for traffic that was slowed by a construction zone and caused a crash in which he and four other persons died. Three of the dead included a mother and her 8- and 10-year-old sons.
During the summer, when the majority of road construction occurs in Indiana, traffic stops and delays resulting from that construction can lead to deadly truck crashes. Whether involving minor roadwork, such as painting lines or fixing guardrails, or major work, like complete rebuilding of the roadbed and road surface, there are many causes for traffic slowdowns.
No matter the cause of the congestion, inattentiveness while driving, whether because of texting, fatigue or daydreaming, the results can be horrific, as was the fiery crash that left five dead and backed up traffic for 20-miles.
Troublingly, the truck driver had been involved in a similar crash in 2006 on I-65. His trucking company, according to the news report has been cited for unsafe driving by their truckers, including driving longer than their 8-hour limit.
Tragic accidents like this are almost always due to negligence. No court will be able to hold him accountable, but the deaths of four other innocent motorists is cruel reminder of the price this negligence can extract from us all.
Source: Abc7chicago.com, “5 DEAD, INCLUDING 2 KIDS, IN I-65 CRASH NEAR LAFAYETTE, IND.” Eric Horng and John Garcia, July 24, 2015
