BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho. — A 22-year-old Sugar City man died Oct. 29 in a tragic accident on U.S. 26, west of Swan Valley.
The 22-year-old was westbound in a 2000 Ford F250 at about 2:40 p.m. when a tire blew on his vehicle, according to a local news article. After the tire failed, the Ford crossed the center lane and struck an eastbound 2020 Freightliner towing a trailer.
The collision caused the Ford to catch fire. Flames spread to nearby brush and ignited the contents of the semi-trailer.
The driver of the Ford was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Idaho State Police troopers are investigating the accident and have not released the name of the victim.
The driver of the semi, a 51-year-old man from Fort Worth, Texas, and a 22-year-old Lingleville woman traveling with him, were wearing seatbelts when the accident occurred. No updates on their conditions have been released, though officials said a ground ambulance transported the woman to a local hospital.
COMMENTARY ON THE SUGAR CITY ACCIDENT
Once again, a tire blowout has led to a tragic death. In this particular case, the death of a young man just getting started in life. Accidents like this one claim the lives of far too many of our citizens each year.
According to a report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the driver of the passenger vehicle is generally at a much greater risk of serious injury or death in collisions involving both a passenger vehicle and a tractor-trailer. In 2019 for example, 97% of fatalities in this type of accident were the occupants of passenger vehicles while only 3% were semi-truck occupants. This is no surprise considering a tractor-trailer fully loaded weighs 20-30 times more than a passenger vehicle.
Although tire failures may be caused by different factors, including tire maintenance, road hazards, road conditions, excessive heat, and rate of speed, tire defect may play a significant role in some of these accidents. A thorough investigation would need to be conducted in order to determine the exact cause of this crash. The failed tire, and any pieces of tread that may have separated or that have been torn off, needs to be retained and inspected. For more information about the types of defects that can cause a tire to fail, check out the the Tire Defect Litigation book I wrote utilizing decades of experience in the industry.
My sincere condolences go out to the family of this young man.
Disclaimer: All of the information contained within this post was compiled from public sources or constitutes the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if you identify any false or misleading information.
