Johnny Brooks and Gertrude Stutler Killed and Two Others Injured in a Semi-Truck Accident on I-77 South Independence, Ohio

Independence, Ohio — A crash on I-77 South in Independence has left at least two people dead and two others hospitalized. The incident occurred after an initial crash involving another car.

According to reports, Johnny Brooks and Gertrude Stutler exited their vehicles after a collision with another car. That’s when a semi-truck collided with one of the vehicles and struck three individuals involved in the initial crash.

Johnny Brooks and Gertrude Stutler suffered fatal injuries, and at least one other person is in critical condition. It is currently unclear how many injured are in the hospital.

No further updates have been provided.

Thoughts on Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents

What caused the truck driver to slam into these individuals? Was the trucker distracted, speeding, or impaired? We have handled cases when, with seconds to react, truckers fail to avoid a collision because they were texting, using social media, or watching a video — all while driving. This is never an acceptable practice for truck drivers to engage in. It is clear in this accident that something was going on that shouldn’t have happened. People don’t run into stopped vehicles unless a mistake is made.

The fact this crash happened suggests the trucking company may also be partially responsible for this crash. Truck drivers must be well-versed in safety, and their employers are responsible for providing them with sufficient safety training. Trucking companies also have a duty to place drivers who do not have a record of repeated traffic violations on the roadways. If a trucking company fails to protect motorists by placing unsafe drivers on the roads that cause serious injuries and deaths, they may have to account for their actions that caused harm.

Holding companies and people responsible for their mistakes makes our roadways safer. This kind of crash should never happen. The injured and families of the deceased deserve answers and justice.

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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation, with extensive experience in complex auto/tire defect and commercial vehicle cases.

Disclaimer: This post is not legal advice. Information contained in this blog was compiled from third-party sources or is the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if false or misleading information is contained in this post.