A man from Mechanicsville, Virginia died and his wife suffered serious injuries late last month after being involved in a terrible accident with a tractor-trailer. The accident happened just before noon on Route 15 in Fluvanna County.
Virginia State Police say that the 51-year-old driver was heading north along Route 15 when he slowed down to make a left turn onto a private drive. The tractor-trailer, which was following along behind the vehicle, was not able to stop in time and crashed into the passenger car. According to police, the driver of the tractor-trailer attempted to swerve, but ended up driving the truck directly into the driver’s side of the turning car.
Authorities say the driver died at the scene of the crash while his wife was transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center for treatment of serious but non-life threatening injuries. Police say the driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured in the accident and has since been charged with reckless driving.
The tragic accident is yet another example of just how deadly commercial motor vehicles can be on Virginia’s roadways. Though the trucker in this case attempted to swerve out of the way, the fact remains the vehicle he was operating was either moving too fast or was too large and heavy to come to a stop in time.
Given the incredible size and weight of many commercial vehicles, stopping distance is several times longer than in normal passenger vehicles. As a result, truckers should move more slowly and always allow plenty of distance to ensure they are able to respond to changes in traffic patterns safely. The recent accident, where the occupant in the passenger vehicle died while the truck driver was unharmed, is sadly a common occurrence. According to crash statistics from the federal government, occupants of a passenger vehicle are 12 times more likely to die in a crash than the driver of a tractor-trailer.
My firm has successfully handled multiple cases against truck drivers and trucking companies that caused severe injury and death to innocent motorists in Virginia. In one case, my firm was able to secure a $650,000 jury verdict for a client who was injured in a serious wreck involving a MACK truck.
If you’ve been injured in a Virginia tractor-trailer accident you likely are wondering what you should do to move the case forward and ensure you receive the financial compensation you deserve. If so, consider checking out my firm’s library of attorneys’ answers to frequently asked questions regarding Virginia (VA) truck accidents.
Here’s a Google Map showing the location of the recent accident:
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