ADAMS COUNTY, Colorado – One person is dead, and a 7-year-old remains hospitalized with severe injuries following a two-car accident in Adams County. This tragic wreck occurred on Thursday, September 22nd, on Interstate 25, just north of Denver. This fatal crash took place about 11 a.m. in the northbound lanes near 84th Avenue, according to Colorado State Patrol.
The Honda driver was northbound when it ran into the rear of a truck that had broken down and was parked on the right shoulder. The 2005 Honda Accord was driven by a 34-year-old Thornton woman who was pronounced dead at the scene. A child passenger in the car was rushed to the hospital for treatment of injuries. Both the driver and her passenger were belted and securely and properly restrained at the time of the crash.
The truck, which was carrying a load of liquid nitrogen, was registered in Oklahoma, according to authorities. Fortunately, there was no rupture or fire in this case. The 60-year-old driver of the semi-truck, who was from Montana, was uninjured.
The investigation is ongoing into the cause of the tragic accident.
Trucking companies must be held accountable to stop these tragic accidents from occurring on a nearly daily basis
This was a bad wreck, and it was entirely preventable. People automatically think that the fault should be on the deceased driver. However, that is not entirely true. The truck shouldn’t have been disabled on the road. Was it not properly maintained? Trucks don’t break down unless they are not properly maintained or repaired. Alternatively, if there was nothing that could have been done to prevent the truck from breaking down, did the driver place warning triangles to alert drivers? If not, how come? Was it a systematic failure of the company?
An important concept to understand is that, generally, accidents like this have multiple failures. The first two failures are systematic failures that occur before the peril exists. Why was this truck in a position to break down during normal use? Why was it not inspected, maintained, and repaired? This is a systems issue. The next failure was company training. Why was this driver not trained on how to handle a breakdown? Did he place warning triangles? Did he call the company or the police first? This is a systems issue. The final failure is with the driver himself, and while he may not have had time to do so, placing warning triangles around his truck would have served to warn of the truck’s presence and could have prevented the accident from ever happening.
When dealing with a fatal accident, it is often wise to consult trained attorneys with experience handling similar accidents. A family lost a loved one, and a child suffered sever injuries. If this accident could have been avoided had the truck been properly maintained, the company should be held liable for its failures.