Tractor Trailer Accidents of October 2009

SaferAutomobiles is dedicated to providing up to date information regarding automobile safety.  Vehicles should be designed and manufactured in a way to protect occupants against foreseeable accidents. Real accidents are discussed on this site as a way to illustrate what accidents are happening on the roadways.  Tractor-Trailers/Big Rigs are one of the real dangers on the roadways today.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, truck-related highway fatalities totaled 4,229 in 2008.  Below, are just a few of the recent 18-wheeler accidents reported in the news.

Hartsville, South Carolina Big Rig Accident:

A wreck involving an 18-wheeler killed a Hartsville man and shut down a road in Florence County on Friday morning.  Florence County Coroner M.G. “Bubba” Matthews identifed the victim as Roberto Asencio Jr., 38.  It happened about 9:15 a.m. on Old River Road near Kingsburg. The truck was the only vehicle involved in the wreck. Its cab and trailer were engulfed in flames as a result of the crash.  The truck Asencio was driving was part of Florence’s Pepsi distribution fleet. The truck was headed south on Old River Road, then ran off the left side of the road and into a steep ravine. Asencio was traveling alone when the wreck happened and was pronounced dead at the scene, Matthews said.

Shreveport, Louisiana 18-Wheeler/Pedestrian/Rollover Accident:

Authorities have identified a man killed who was killed Wednesday night when he was hit by an 18-wheeler on Interstate 20 in far west Shreveport.  The victim has been identified as Stanley Earl Combs, 50, of Dallas, Texas. Police said Combs was in Shreveport working, police said.  Combs was killed about 10:20 p.m. Wednesday on I-20 near Bert Kouns Industrial Loop. The truck driver told police he hit a pedestrian who was in the roadway.

A man was killed in Red River Parish late Thursday afternoon when his pickup ran off Louisiana 507 south of Coushatta and overturned. Killed was Mark Riggs, 52, of Natchitoches.  State Police said the truck ran off the road coming out of a curve, hit an embankment, went airborne and then overturned when it landed in a ditch. Troopers said Riggs was not wearing a seat belt.

Oakland, California Tractor-Trailer Accident:

An SUV driver was in critical condition Friday after the vehicle was struck by an out-of-control heavy-haul tractor trailer rig carrying tons of asphalt to a Lake Merritt area paving project, police said. The driver of the hauler told police he lost the brakes about 12:07 p.m. a few blocks from where the crash occurred at Lakeshore Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. He was not injured, nor were the occupants of another truck nicked by the hauler. The Toyota RAV4 driver, who had to be freed by firefighters, is believed to be an Oakland man in his 60s, police said. No names were released by police.  The hauler, which was transporting asphalt to a paving project on Lakeshore Avenue, was going west on Mac Arthur Boulevard when its brakes apparently went out before Beacon Street, where MacArthur becomes only eastbound lanes. The truck kept going in the eastbound lanes, crossed Lakeshore and as it began turning southbound nicked the front of a construction truck that, like the SUV, was stopped for a red light.  It then slammed into the SUV, the impact almost completely demolishing it and sending it across the sidewalk and partially into Lakeside Park. The hauler also jumped the sidewalk and went into the park, losing one tire and badly damaging others. It finally stopped on thick grass about 100 feet inside the park. The wreck is under investigation.

If someone you know was injured or killed as the result of an 18-wheeler accident, big rig accident, drunk driving accident, automobile accident or tractor-trailer accident, encourage them to immediately contact a competent attorney for advice. It is extremely important to do this quickly to ensure that evidence is preserved, statements are taken, and the rights of all claimants are protected.