Bleckley County, Georgia – An unidentified truck driver died after a tragic collision with another semi-truck. The crash between the two vehicles happened on I-16 in Bleckley County.
Troopers managed to reach the scene at around 5:15 a.m., where they found the semi parked in an emergency lane nearby. The vehicle was turned off, and reflective emergency triangles were set up behind it to signal troopers.
Officials say that the crash happened after another truck failed to maintain its travel lane and hit the parked semi. This caused the truck to burst into flames, blocking the westbound lanes of I-16. Although the truck driver did manage to get out of his burning vehicle, he was found dead from his injuries on the road. The condition of the driver of the parked truck was not provided.
Wrecker crews are now working on the lane to clear it of debris and open the road as soon as possible.
Authorities are investigating the accident. No further information was immediately available.
18-Wheelers Cannot Park on The Side of Busy Interstates and Avoid Liability
A common misconception of fatal rear-end accidents is that the parked vehicle is never to blame. This is not true. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this same scenario play out. Fatal accidents just like this happen across the country on nearly a daily basis. It is clear, and the law recognizes, that parking a big-rig truck on the side of a public roadway is an extreme risk to other motorists and should be avoided at all costs. If this truck was parked in an area that was not specifically designated for truck parking, the driver, despite the precautions taken, may be partially responsible for this death. If the truck were not parked on the side of the road, this man would not have died.
Determining fault in this type of case can be difficult, and the company of the parked truck will surely try to blame the deceased driver for failing to pay attention. However, this is not fair because you cannot do something negligent yourself and then blame someone else for their negligence. At the very least, fault should be shared between both parties in an equitable manner. Trained attorneys will need to examine this accident and help the family recover any compensation they may be entitled to.
As with all accidents that result in a fatality or a serious injury, it is imperative that all possible causes of the crash are explored. These are life-changing events, and if there was any wrongdoing, the injured/deceased victims deserve answers and an opportunity to recover any financial compensation they may need to help reduce the financial burden caused by such an accident. Anything less than this allows wrongdoers to avoid the consequences of their actions, when the injured/deceased paid the ultimate price for theirs.