HENRY COUNTY, Indiana—One semi-truck driver was killed, and another was injured when two 18-wheelers collided just after 4:00 a.m. on September 19, 2022, on Interstate 70 near Knightstown, Indiana.
Initial reports suggest that a semi-truck traveling westbound on I-70 crossed over the center median and smashed into an eastbound semi-truck for unknown reasons.
The driver of the westbound truck was pronounced deceased at the crash site. The driver of the eastbound semi-truck was taken to a hospital in Richmond, Indiana for treatment of injuries. Neither of the drivers’ identities has been released to the public. I-70 was closed for several hours following the crash as debris was removed from the roadway.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation. No further information about the crash has been made available.
Fatal crashes should be investigated to help the families recover the compensation they may be entitled to
Even though we do not yet know all the details of this crash, we can be fairly certain that the likely cause of the accident was negligence on the part of the deceased truck driver or the trucking company that employed that driver.
Trucking companies must advocate for a culture of safety for their drivers. Included in robust safety cultures is education that focuses on a truck driver’s ability to avoid collisions, as well as the importance of resting when tired and not driving beyond the maximum number of hours allowed to avoid fatigue. Like their employers, truck drivers must also know of the dangers of driving when tired or overcorrecting their trucks. Oftentimes, when safety is ignored by the trucking company, truck driver, or both, there are fatal consequences.
We can see the result of those decisions here. The injured truck driver was likely unable to avoid colliding with the other semi-truck after it veered across traffic, across the median, and into the second truck’s lane. What investigators of this crash must investigate further is whether the driver of the westbound truck had fallen asleep at the wheel or was otherwise distracted, leading to this awful crash. If so, the injured truck driver would likely succeed in recovering damages against the truck driver and any trucking company involved due to his or her injuries.
Alternatively, the family of the deceased semi-truck driver should also consult an independent investigator to determine whether the westbound semi-truck experienced mechanical failure prior to the crash. In that case, the first truck driver may not have been liable for the crash but, instead, a victim of the wreck.
Either way, those impacted by this accident would likely benefit from consulting with an attorney specialized in truck accidents and mechanical defects. At The Ammons Law Firm, we offer independent investigations aimed at exhausting every possible theory of causation for crashes, as well as legal strategies tailored to every unique circumstance.
