GALLATIN COUNTY, Ky. – On Saturday, on Interstate 71, a black Chevrolet Equinox traveling northbound collided with the rear of a parked semi-truck on the shoulder of the highway.
The driver, Breanna Lundgren, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Her passenger, Sarah Barnes, succumbed to her injuries at the hospital a short time later.
No further information regarding the crash has been released.
Thoughts on Crashes with Large Parked Trucks
Trucks should not park on the shoulder of the highway. Period. When they do, they place other motorists in danger of serious injury or death. This same accident happens all the time, leading to the same consequences. Truckers must park in safe locations. When a stationary truck causes serious injuries or deaths, an independent investigation by trained professionals must take place to hold all liable parties accountable for their negligent actions.
An investigation will examine all the factors that led to the crash. It will answer vital questions like why the truck was parked. Was the truck driver fatigued? Did the truck have mechanical issues? If this truck driver created a dangerous situation, s/he should not be permitted to escape liability just because someone else ran into the back of the truck. The trucking industry knows how dangerous it is to park a full-size truck next to a lane of moving traffic and must take steps to prevent it from happening.
The next set of questions focuses on the employer of the trucker. Did the trucking company educate its drivers on safety protocols if they are forced to stop on the highway? Did the trucking company pressure their drivers to make deadlines to the point of fatigue? Did they provide the driver with a safe truck to drive, or do their trucks have recurring mechanical problems that never get fully fixed? Answers to these questions will determine whether the trucking company was negligent in its actions that caused this crash. Trucking companies must do all they can to ensure drivers park in safe locations to ensure accidents like this one do not happen.
If an independent investigation reveals wrongdoing in this tragic accident, my hope is that all wrongdoers are held accountable.
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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.
