A tractor-trailer accident in Tennessee took the life of a Birchwood Man late last month, according to Times Free Press. The accident happened on Interstate 75 in McMinn County, reports the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The two tractor-trailers collided on the northbound lanes of 75 near mile marker 50 just before 3:00 a.m. The accident closed the area of the interstate for hours.
One of the drivers was traveling at about 85 mph when he struck another tractor-trailer that was traveling at roughly 45 mph with its hazard lights activated. The speeding tractor-trailer wedged itself underneath the slow-traveling vehicle, breaking open the trailer and spilling chicken feed all over the road.
Our Knoxville truck accident attorneys would like to urge all motorists to travel safely, but especially near large tractor-trailers. The size, weight and power of these vehicles can cause serious injury to those involved in accidents.
According the fatality report from that accident, no criminal charges or citations have been issued. Neither driver tested positive for drugs or alcohol.
A separate tractor-trailer accident left a vehicle overturned and in flames at the I-24/I-40 merge near the Silliman Evans Bridge, according to The Tennessean. The Tennessee Department of Transportation reports that the accident caused all eastbound lanes from the Second Avenue exit to the Shelby Avenue exit to close.
The driver of a flatbed truck reportedly lost control rounding a curve at the I-24/I-40 merge near the Silliman Evans Bridge, according to Metro police. The flatbed flipped, and scattering its load of 10-inch metal water pipes across interstate lanes.
America’s Road Team offers these safety tips to help prevent tractor-trailer accidents:
-Plan ahead. Figure out directions before you take off on the interstate. Know which exit you’ll be using to avoid sudden lane changes.
-Stay focused. Taking your eye off the road, if only for seconds, can drastically increase your chance for an accident.
-Keep a safety cushion. Plan a quarter mile at a time. Have an escape route if caught in a bind. Know what you’d do to avoid an interstate collision.
-Keep your seat belt on. Seat belts help to save lives!
-Do not tailgate. Keeping a safe distance between you and the car in front of you can help to avoid a collision.
-Watch out for blind spots. Trucks have substantially larger blind spots than passenger vehicles. It is important for truck drivers and passenger-vehicle drivers to be aware of these spaces and double check them before making a move.
-Watch your speed. Your risk for an accident increases as your speed increases.
The United States has roughly 296,000 large trucks traveling our roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 3,500 fatalities, and 74,000 injuries, resulted from trucking accidents in 2009 in the United States. Tennessee had nearly 1,500 vehicles involved in these large-truck accidents.
If you are involved in a trucking accident in Tennessee, contact Hartsoe Law Firm, P.C. for a confidential appointment to discuss your rights with a Knoxville injury lawyer or Maryville accident attorney. Call (877) 472-5657.