Articles Posted in Car Accidents

This past weekend, a Brownsville man was killed in a trucking accident in Tennessee. The man was pulled over on the side of the road near Interstate 40 near mile marker 66 and was standing outside of his vehicle when he was struck by a passing tractor-trailer, according to the Jackson Sun.

Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that the man was standing outside of his parked car in the right side emergency lane on the interstate with his flashers on when the accident happened. The driver of the tractor-trailer, which was headed eastbound, was traveling in the right lane when he struck the disabled vehicle and the vehicle’s owner. The man standing on the side of the road was killed in the collision. Neither of the tractor-trailer’s occupants were injured in the accident.

The frequency of these types of accidents is appalling. Our Tennessee trucking accident attorneys would like to warn all motorists about the dangers accompanying a disabled vehicle. You may think you’re safe once you’ve exited the lane of traffic and you’re pulled over on the side of the road, but you’d be wrong. This is actually a common scenario for fatal highway accidents.

Charges are pending on a driver that was involved in another incident that happened the same way. One person was killed in this accident and another was severely injured.

This accident happened as three people were walking along the side of the road after their vehicle ran out of gas on Interstate 40 near the Pellissippi Parkway, according to NBC 10. As the three were walking, a truck ran onto the shoulder of the road and struck two of the three walkers.

One of the victims died at the scene, one was taken to Parkwest Hospital for treatment and the third was not hit or injured. The driver of that truck is facing charges because he left the scene of the accident. He was later located and picked up a short time after on Walker Springs Road.

What to do if you’re vehicle becomes disabled:

-Always keep a cell phone with you so that you can contact the correct authorities right away if your car becomes disabled.

-Pull on the shoulder as far as you can.

-Don’t let your passengers wander near cars on the roadway.

-To warn other motorists turn on your hazard lights.

-Do not stand near your vehicle next to the traffic. Always keep to the opposite side.

-In most cases it is best policy to keep everyone in the vehicle and wearing seat belts.

-Tying a white cloth or t-shirt to your driver side door handle can help alert other drivers.

-Prepare a road safety kit to keep in your car at all times. The kit should include a torch, a reflective triangle, road safety signs, a traffic cone, a cell phone, jumper cables, a tow rope, a portable air compressor, a raincoat and a first aid kit.
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A Tennessee truck driver was involved in a fatal accident that killed three motorists last week. He was reported, by Durham State Troopers, to have been under the influence of marijuana and methadone at the time of the accident. Troopers also searched the vehicle and found drugs and drug paraphernalia. The driver is being held on a $500,000 bail and is currently facing charges of driving while impaired and three counts of felony death by vehicle, according to the The Charlotte Observer.

The company that the truck driver worked for, based in East Tennessee, has received a number of violations relating to fatigued drivers and unsafe driving that has resulted in a number of trucking accidents in Tennessee.

Our Tennessee trucking accident attorneys understand that these accidents are not uncommon. As a matter of fact, before this accident, the same truck driver was involved in two serious accidents in 2010. These accidents happened in Kentucky and Tennessee. One involved serious injury.

For reasons like this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been looking into accidents that involve truck drivers and the use of drugs. The NHTSA recently released a new report on drug use by drivers involved in some of our county’s most fatal crashes. The report illustrates an alarming increase in the level of drug involvement among fatally injured motorists from 2005 to 2009.

According to NHTSA research, more than 60 percent of the 21,798 drivers who were killed in traffic accidents in 2009 were tested for drugs. Of these fatalities, nearly 4,000 tested positive for drugs. The report also concluded that the use of drugs among fatally injured drivers increased 2 percent from 2005 to 2006 and another 2 percent to 2008.

“Every driver on the road has a personal responsibility to operate his or her vehicle with full and uncompromised attention on the driving task,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “Today’s report provides a warning signal that too many Americans are driving after having taken drugs, not realizing the potential for putting themselves and others on the highway at risk.”

The types of drugs recorded include narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, cannabinoids, phencyclidines (PCPs), anabolic steroids and inhalants. The groups include both illicit drugs, legally prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medicines.

“While it’s clear that science and state policies regarding drugs and driving are evolving, one fact is indisputable. If you are taking any drugs that might impair your ability to drive safely, then you need to put common sense and caution to the forefront, and give your keys to someone else. It doesn’t matter if its drugs or alcohol, if you’re impaired, don’t drive,” Strickland warned.

The NHTSA will continue to conduct research regarding drug use and truck drivers and their impact on traffic accidents. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 instructors and more than 6,000 trained police officers in 46 states that are able to recognize symptoms of driver impairment by drugs other than alcohol.

In Tennessee alone, nearly 100 drivers that were tested for drugs after a fatal traffic accident returned positive results in 2009. Another 250 drivers were tested that did not have test results recorded.
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The Tennessee Highway Patrol recently participated, in partnership with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, in the nation’s biggest patrol on commercial vehicles.

Operation Roadcheck 2011 was a 72-hour roadside enforcement project conducted in various areas throughout the United States. This project aimed to enhance bus and truck safety and reduce the risks of bus and truck accidents in Knoxville and elsewhere in North America, according to Clarksville Online.

“It is more important than ever that we place an emphasis on commercial vehicle safety in Tennessee,” said Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons. “The Tennessee Highway Patrol will do its part to maintain the safety and security of our highways through inspections and roadside checks, but it is also the commercial drivers’ responsibility to identify safety defects with their vehicle. Together, we can ensure that all motorists reach their destination safely.”

Our Tennessee truck accident lawyers recognize that these large, commercial vehicles often produce more serious injuries and more fatal accidents than accidents between two smaller motor-vehicles. It is the large size and heavy weight of these commercial vehicles that prove to be deadly in accidents. Motorists are urged to travel among these large vehicle with extreme caution.

There were nine inspection stations at weigh stations along our interstates. Law enforcement made random stops in various areas of our highways. They conducted Level I inspections — the most thorough and comprehensive type of inspection. Officers examined tires, lights, brakes and every other major component on trucks and buses.

During last year’s operation, more than 400 commercial vehicles were inspected during the 72-hour crackdown period. Throughout these inspections, more than 25 commercial drivers and nearly 35 vehicles were placed out-of-service. Throughout the entire United States, according to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, nearly 65,500 commercial vehicles were inspected and nearly 30 percent of drivers received out-of-service violations. Another 26 percent of vehicles received out-of-service violations during that time.

“Operation Roadcheck reinforces the critical role inspector’s play in safety and crash prevention on state highways,” said THP Colonel Tracy Trott. “It’s important to have well-trained drivers who are conscious of their vehicles functionality and abide by the rules of the road, especially with the size, weight and increased numbers of passengers of these vehicles. We will not hesitate to place commercial vehicles or its’ drivers out of service to keep our highways safe.”
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