FRESNO COUNTY, California – Twenty-six-year-old Edgar Maravilla was killed in a car accident involving a stopped semi-truck.
According to authorities, a truck driver stopped a semi-truck on the side of the road in hours of darkness near Cherry and Lincoln Avenues. When Maravilla was traveling in the same location, his vehicle crashed into the back of the stopped semi-truck.
Authorities reported that Maravilla suffered life-threatening injuries and died before he could be transported to the hospital.
No further information was immediately available.
An investigation into the crash must determine if the truck driver obeyed all laws applicable to stopping on the side of a road.
I am saddened to learn that a young man was killed in a crash with a parked semi-truck. Accidents involving trucks stopped on the side of roadways in hours of darkness occur with alarming frequency. Many of these crashes are caused when the truck driver does not obey the laws regulating trucks stopping next to lanes of moving traffic.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration created the rules truck drivers must follow when driving commercial vehicles. The purpose of these rules is to reduce the likelihood of injury-causing accidents. When these rules are not followed, fatal injuries happen.
One of the foundational rules of safe trucking operations is to warn passing motorists of a stopped truck’s presence. The FMCSA requires truck drivers to place warning devices behind a parked truck as soon as possible to alert oncoming traffic of stopped trucks. When this rule is not followed, motorists cannot see a parked truck, and crashes such as this happen.
We handle this very crash for clients across the nation. Trucking companies cannot put innocent motorists’ lives at risk and then escape liability by pointing the finger at the deceased driver. Truckers must take all reasonable precautions to ensure motorists are protected from dangerous trucks parked next to a lane of moving traffic in hours of darkness. Failure to follow basic rules of safety and the laws specifically designed to prevent this very type of crash should not be tolerated.
This crash will need to be investigated to ensure the surviving family receives the justice they deserve. If trained truck accident lawyers determine that this truck driver failed to protect the scene of the parked semi-truck, the family should be provided the opportunity to hold the trucking company and its driver responsible for the death of their loved one.
This is a very serious crash that will cause significant pain in the lives of many. I pray for the surviving family that they might find peace during this time of trial.
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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.
