Beresford, South Dakota – A multi-vehicle accident unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday morning on Interstate 29, just north of Beresford, resulting in one fatality and causing injuries to two individuals.
The incident began when a 2007 Peterbilt Conventional semi-truck traveling southbound on Interstate 29 experienced a tire failure, and the tire and rim detached from the semi-truck, landing in the passing lane of the northbound lanes.
A 2011 Dodge Ram pickup truck on the northbound lane struck the detached tire and rim, causing the driver of the Dodge Ram pickup to lose control of their vehicle and to cross the median, entering the southbound lanes and colliding with a southbound 2005 Chevrolet Express van. The Dodge pickup truck rolled over and came to rest in the ditch. The Chevrolet Express van also veered into the median and rolled into the northbound lanes. A 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup swerved to miss the Chevrolet Express van.
The 29-year-old male driver of the Chevrolet Express van was ejected from his vehicle and onto the northbound lanes, where he was pronounced deceased at the scene. A male passenger in the van sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The male driver of the Dodge Ram pickup involved in the initial collision suffered minor injuries.
The male driver of the semi-truck and the male driver of the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup did not suffer any injuries.
More Details Needed to See if Tire Failure is to Blame for Deadly Accident Involving Multiple Vehicles
In 2021, 622 road fatalities were caused by tire-related crashes (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Poor repair jobs are often the culprits of this type of accident. In accidents involving semi-trucks like the one that took place in Beresford, South Dakota, trucking companies must ensure their vehicles are properly repaired and that their trucks go through routine maintenance for the safety of the truck driver and the driving public. When trucking companies fail to comply with such safety standards, they should be held accountable for any injuries or deaths their negligent actions cause.
In this accident, a proper investigation by trained professionals will explain the exact cause of the tire and rim detaching from the semi-truck and identify who is responsible for the injuries and deaths that occurred. One thing is clear: the trucking company cannot put a truck on the roadway that is unfit for service and then escape liability when innocent victims are killed.
Our firm conducts investigations on tire failure commercial vehicle accidents across the country and retains trained professionals ready to assist families affected by accidents such as this one. It will be important that the tire and rim be retained to ensure the exact cause of failure can be identified.
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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.
