• Highway construction zone accidents killed 30 last year
• Recent Illinois truck crash leads to death of 2 men
• 55-year-old truck driver allegedly failed to slow down and struck several other vehicles
Driving on the highway can be dangerous enough in Missouri and Illinois, especially with over-sized tractor-trailers sharing the roads with much smaller vehicles. Add in a highway construction zone, and things can get even more hazardous for unsuspecting drivers who obey all traffic laws and warning signs. One recent fatal truck crash that happened on I-74 in Illinois illustrates just how quickly a deadly truck crash can occur when a tractor-trailer driver fails to slow down in a construction zone.
Authorities state that the construction area was marked quite clearly with signs and radar limits. Additionally, several radio stations were broadcasting information about the road construction under way and that care needed to be taken. The posted signs made it clear for several miles that the construction was coming up and that the left lane was closed. Just before the accident, the majority of vehicles were slowing down and stopping as necessary. Unfortunately, however, the 55-year-old driver of a Peterbilt semi-truck reportedly failed to lower his vehicle’s speed sufficiently to avoid piling into vehicles in front of him.
He apparently set off a chain reaction truck crash that involved five vehicles in total. Several people were transported to an area hospital for medical treatment. Tragically, one person succumbed to his injuries at the accident scene and a second man lost his life at the hospital. Illinois State Police say they do not know how fast the commercial truck driver was traveling at the time. Their investigation into the collision remains ongoing.
Motor vehicle collisions in road construction zones accounted for 30 fatalities last year, with three of those who died being construction workers. The trucking company that employed the trucker involved in this recent accident has a record of 9 crashes just since 2013. Company representatives offered no comment in this most recent collision in light of the fact that the investigation is not yet completed.
It is likely that those surviving relatives left to mourn these two men are facing a tremendous amount of emotional grief. In some cases like this, Missouri and Illinois families may also face financial suffering after losing a breadwinner. Our St. Louis truck crash firm can be reached by dialing 1-888-586-7041 to set up a free meeting to discuss your case and rights under the law. You may benefit from filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit in a civil court. This could help you obtain financial restitution from the truck driver or trucking company responsible for causing the highway construction zone accident that led to your injury or loved one’s death.
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Sources: http://www.qconline.com/news/local/two-illinois-drivers-killed-in-i–accident/article_d64ff3a0-acb7-52aa-b1dc-97689d244892.html and http://kwqc.com/2015/05/14/construction-zone-safety/