Train Plows into Tractor Trailer in NJ

A tractor-trailer driver from Pennsylvania (PA) was injured Monday, January 17^th, when his vehicle was struck by a freight train that afternoon.

The driver, who has not yet been identified, was hit at the Cedar Avenue crossing just south of Lincoln Boulevard in Middlesex Township. Traveling south on Cedar, he collided with a 107 year-old train car going from Selkirk, New York (NY), to North Carolina (NC) at approximately 1:43 p.m.

The cab of the truck, owned by Melliger Transportation Corporation of Stevens, PA, received the brunt of the hit, and the driver was taken to Our Lady of Mount Virgin School. A waiting medevac helicopter then transported him to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick to receive treatment for head injuries.

Unfortunately, accidents such as these are not uncommon when you drive for a living, as tractor-trailer operators must do. Several precautions can be taken to ensure that you perform the job safely, such as properly securing the load in your truck and taking frequent rest breaks. However, despite your best intentions, sometimes things go awry.

Let us hope that the unidentified driver’s head and brain injuries are not serious, and that he is able to recuperate quickly. If not, and he survives, he and his family may face unexpected expenses related to the lifelong care needed with brain injuries. Cognitive reasoning decline, memory loss, and even personality changes can all result from this devastating type of damage.

If you find yourself the victim of a tractor-trailer or railroad accident, especially one involving brain injuries, contact a capable attorney as soon as your condition allows.

IW