According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), tractor-trailer trucks that are loaded down with cargo require 20 to 40 percent more room to stop than cars do.
In St. Cloud, Florida recently, a trucker lost his life in an accident after he tried to stop for a fire truck, according to WKMG-TV. The news source reports that the incident occurred around 3:20 p.m. on a weekday at the intersection of Narcoossee Road and Yukon Street.
Prior to the wreck, the fire truck was heading out for an emergency call as the tractor-trailer approached the intersection. When the trucker saw the fire truck turning onto Narcoossee, he slammed on his brakes. Unfortunately, the force of the sudden stop caused beams the truck was hauling to come loose and fly through its cab.
The beams crushed the trucker to death, according to the report. Tragically, witnesses believe that a signal that turns red when a fire truck is heading through the intersection may not have been activated. If true, the lack of a signal could have led to the trucker’s death, because he was not warned to stop in time. In addition, authorities are investigating whether the beams were properly secured in the truck’s trailer.
How Can Lawsuits Make the Road Safer?
In the video below, injury lawyer Deborah J. Gander talks about what trucking companies can do to make the road safer for motorists.
Did You Know: According to the IIHS, 17 percent of fatalities in truck accidents in the U.S. in 2012 were truck occupants.
Colson Hicks Eidson – Injury Attorneys
Source: http://www.clickorlando.com/news/semi-driver-killed-trying-to-stop-for-fire-truck-in-st-cloud/27995244