A dump truck overturned in Hampton, Virginia (VA), on June 14, 2011, hitting numerous vehicles and leaving three people injured.Two people were transported to a local hospital by ambulance and a third person was evacuated by medical helicopter after the dump truck overturned, the Daily Press reported.
Police said the dump truck driver was heading south on Magruder Boulevard when he “swerved left to avoid crossing traffic,” at Butler Farm Road. The truck hit seven cars and lost its load of gravel. Charges are likely to follow. A preliminary investigation found the driver of the dump truck failed to stop at the red light at the intersection, according to the Daily Press.
We are saddened by the serious injuries sustained in this accident. Our experienced Virginia (VA) personal injury attorneys have reported on many unequal accidents which pit heavy dump trucks against lighter vehicles on the road. Recently we noted how a taxi cab passenger in Florida (FL) was killed in an accident involving a dump truck.
While the full circumstances of this accident in Hampton, VA, are not yet known, the dangers of red light running are readily apparent. More than 150,000 people a year suffer serious injuries due to red light running, our Virginia attorneys have noted.
Last year I wrote about a tragic accident in Henrico County, VA, in which a driver was killed at the intersection of Laburnum Avenue and Charles City Road after another driver ran a red light. The victim who lost their life in this terrible wreck had two children. Fortunately, the wife of the dead driver hired an attorney and filed a wrongful death lawsuit. A $1.8 million settlement was reached and $3 million will now be guaranteed throughout the lives of the two children who will now grow up without their father.
In a recent survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly one in five drivers admitted they ran at least one red light in the last ten intersections.
DM