BALTIMORE, Md. — A Baltimore man lost his life following a crash with a semi-truck Saturday Morning.
The victim, identified as Denzel Butcher, was at the wheel of a 2019 Nissan Altima near Interstate 95 South and Chesaco Avenue at approximately 2:30 a.m. when a tractor-trailer struck it from behind.
Denzel Butcher was declared deceased at the scene. A passenger in the Nissan Altima sustained injuries and was transported to the hospital for medical care.
Initial reports suggest the Nissan Altima may have been disabled, occupying the third lane of Interstate 95 when it was hit by the semi-truck.
No further information was immediately available.
Thoughts on the Fatal Rear-End Truck Collision
There are still missing details on what caused the semi-truck driver to rear-end Mr. Butcher’s vehicle, causing him to lose his life. Was the truck driver fatigued? Distracted? Speeding? The press report states Mr. Butcher’s Nissan Altima may have been disabled, occupying the third lane. If this is true, why was the vehicle stopped? Did he experience some sort of mechanical failure? Trained professionals must investigate this accident to determine what caused the vehicle to stop and why the truck driver failed to react in time to avoid a collision.
First, the actions of the truck driver must be investigated. All motorists have a duty to avoid hitting other vehicles. This means drivers must remain alert and attentive at all times to ensure they are ready to react to obstacles or sudden emergencies. Even the most minor, unexpected event on the roadways can bring catastrophic consequences if a driver is distracted or speeding, especially when it’s dark outside. Unfortunately, many drivers drive distracted, causing serious accidents and injuries. According to The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), 87 percent of rear-end accidents happen because of distraction.
The trucking industry is aware of the dangers associated with distracted driving, and companies must train their drivers to remain alert and attentive at all times. I have handled a number of cases like this one where the trucking company and driver attempted to blame the other motorist for stopping in traffic or acting outside what one would expect. However, when we investigate these cases, we often find that the driver of the truck was on a cell phone or driving past legal limits, preventing them from seeing an impending emergency.
Drivers cannot run into the back of stopped vehicles and then try to escape liability when they fail to act responsibly and avoid a collision.
It will also be important to determine why the vehicle was stopped. If there was a mechanical issue of some kind, the repair and maintenance history of the vehicle will be important. If a repair company put this vehicle on the road when it was at risk of breaking down, they may have some fault in this crash as well.
Many questions still need answering to determine all the parties at fault for Mr. Butcher’s passing. I hope his family gets the justice they deserve for any wrongdoing that caused their loved one’s untimely death.
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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.
