Henryville, Indiana – An accident on Interstate 65 North in Henryville, Indiana, has left one man dead.
Initial investigations suggest that a white Dodge pickup truck, towing a flatbed trailer loaded with A/C units, was traveling northbound on I-65 when one of the A/C units dislodged from the trailer, falling onto the roadway.
A Chevy Malibu hit the A/C in its path. When the Malibu driver, Matthew Campbell, exited his vehicle to check the scene, a UPS semi-truck that had abruptly changed lanes to avoid a collision with the Malibu struck Campbell.
Campbell died at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
No further information was immediately available.
Fault must be apportioned among all wrongdoers to ensure all wrongdoers are held responsible.
Mr. Campbell should have never lost his life in such a senseless way. Companies have an obligation to keep their cargo secure. Truck drivers are also responsible for driving safely and avoiding hitting other motorists. According to the details in this news report, it seems as if both the company moving the A/C units and the driver of the UPS truck drivers failed to safely share the roadway with Mr. Campbell on the night of the accident.
According to reports, this chain-reaction accident began when a driver hauling a flatbed trailer loaded with A/C units dropped one of the units on the roadway, obstructing the road. This is unacceptable. Cargo does not fall unless a mistake is made.
Trucking companies are responsible for ensuring their loads are secure to prevent cargo from falling on the roadway. Trained professionals will need to investigate this crash to determine what mistakes were made to allow this A/C unit to fall off the trailer during transport. The trucking company that failed to properly load and secure the A/C unit to the trailer needs to be held accountable.
In addition, the actions of the UPS driver also need further investigation. From the report, it appears some time passed between the original collision and the secondary collision with the UPS truck. This is evidenced by the fact that Mr. Campbell was able to get out of his vehicle before the second collision. The fact the UPS driver was unable to avoid the crash and had to take quick evasive action into the left lane indicates the driver may not have been fully aware of potential road hazards as they approached. This needs to be further investigated.
Was the trucker distracted or fatigued? We know UPS is a national company and must take all reasonable steps to ensure its drivers are adequately trained and exercise caution on public roadways.
Many people will bear some degree of responsibility for this man’s passing. An investigation will determine who is responsible and ensure all wrongdoing is accounted for by compensating the surviving family for the pain and suffering they will experience from losing their loved one.
*******
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.
