MARSTON, Missouri- Two boys, ages 11 and 14, were pronounced dead at the scene following a collision between a 2004 Ford Expedition and a 2019 tractor-trailer on I-55 in New Madrid County.
Both vehicles were significantly damaged by the collision, and five other individuals suffered injuries as a result. Four individuals were transported to St. Francis Medical Center, and one 13-year-old was airlifted to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.
No other information was immediately available.
Thoughts on the cause of this crash and the need for an independent investigation
The facts of this accident are horrific. We cannot imagine what the families of the two young children who passed away must be going through at this time. We send them our deepest condolences and can only hope that any wrongdoers who bear responsibility for the loss of these two young lives are identified and held accountable.
Our investigative team is familiar with cases involving passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers. In these situations, the first possible cause we want to investigate is negligence on the part of the truck driver. Every day, we help families navigate the aftermath of crashes caused by truck drivers misusing their smartphones, failing to follow traffic laws, parking in unsafe locations, and so much more. Should the investigation reveal any negligent behavior on the part of the truck driver as the cause of this tragedy, the victims’ families and those injured may be able to seek legal recourse against the driver.
In addition to the behavior of the truck driver, we always want to investigate the driver’s employer as well. There are clear rules and regulations governing the training and supervision drivers must receive before they are allowed to operate a tractor-trailer. Unfortunately, we often find that employers of truck drivers cut corners when it comes to training and supervision. We also routinely find that employers pressure drivers to drive beyond the permittable driving limits, putting their employees and countless others in danger. Any evidence that the conduct of the driver’s employer may have contributed to the cause of this accident may allow for another avenue for the victims’ families to seek relief.
Regardless of what the official investigation finds, we always advocate for an independent legal investigation, particularly in cases like this, where there is not an obvious cause of the accident. Resource constraints often mean that official investigations stop at the first identified cause. Unfortunately, we find many accidents have more than one cause, and we do not stop our investigation until all causes have been identified.