Payne County, Oklahoma – A crash at OK-18 and East Fairlawn Road led to the death of one person. According to reports, Heather Church was driving when there was a collision with a dump truck. The impact of the collision pinned her inside her car for ten minutes before emergency responders extricated her.
Authorities reported that Heather Church succumbed to her injuries.
No further details surrounding the crash have been provided.
Thoughts on Dump Truck Accidents
News reports indicate that this accident involved a small passenger vehicle that hit the back of a dump truck. This may lead some to conclude that the young woman is entirely at fault. It is unfair to jump to this conclusion without a detailed investigation.
Following a fatal accident, the surviving family deserves answers. Was the dump truck driver distracted, impaired, or speeding? Was there a mechanical issue? Was the dump truck slowing to make a turn? Was the truck parked? Could the dump truck have avoided the crash with greater care? Commercial drivers have special rules they must follow to help protect the motoring public. Were those rules followed here? Answers to these questions provide important information and help identify all parties at fault for this crash.
If it turns out that this accident was the result of negligence on the part of the dump truck driver, the fault may extend to the trucking company. Trucking companies have a duty to put safe drivers on our roadways. When the trucking company has relaxed policies regarding safety, their drivers are less likely to care about safety. This leads to serious, preventable accidents.
Additionally, reports suggest the young woman was pinned following the crash. Did her vehicle provide her with adequate protection? This also will need to be answered. Auto manufacturers must produce vehicles to withstand the force of foreseeable accidents. While this is not always possible, the vehicle’s crashworthiness should be considered.
Following a fatal collision, the family needs answers and justice for any wrongdoing that may have contributed to their loss.
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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.
