RACINE COUNTY, Wis. — An accident in Racine County resulted in the loss of a motorcyclist’s life and a serious injury to his occupant.
The accident involved an Amazon box truck whose driver failed a series of Standardized Field Sobriety Tests by law enforcement. Sheriff’s deputies had probable cause to believe he was “impaired by the use of marijuana.”
The driver was taken into custody and faces the following charges:
- Operating under the influence causing injury
- Operating under the influence
- Failure to yield while making a left turn
- Failure to yield while making a left turn causing great bodily harm
- Failure to yield while making a left turn causing death
The motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries at the crash scene.
No further details are currently available.
Thoughts on the Amazon Truck Accident
Driving and drug use never mix. This accident should have never happened. When a truck driver causes someone to lose their life and others to be seriously injured due to driving under a controlled substance, they must be held accountable for their negligent actions.
Each year, 4,800 people die in a large truck accident. Five percent of those fatalities involve substance abuse (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). Truck drivers driving under the influence is a real problem. Employers hiring these drivers have a duty to place responsible, safe drivers on the roadways. When trucking companies fail to do so, they should also be held accountable. Did the company follow government guidelines regarding random sobriety tests? Did the company conduct adequate screening to ensure its driver was safe?
Unfortunately, this case will be further complicated because the accident happened with an Amazon truck. We have handled cases against Amazon over the years. Amazon is represented by very good lawyers who do everything possible to escape liability. Amazon often uses third-party companies to hire and drive Amazon-branded vehicles to avoid liability when an accident happens. This is not fair. Amazon should not be allowed to cut corners to save money and escape liability and then point to others when an accident inevitably happens.
All negligent parties responsible for this crash need to be held accountable for the serious injuries and death their actions caused.
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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.
