The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) has identified the victims killed in a crash on the Turner Turnpike. The victims include 43-year-old Rodrigo Robles-Almeida and 27-year-old Jeylor Vallecillo-Garcia. Additionally, 27-year-old Wiston Lopez-Carrazco, also involved in the collision, was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
The driver of the semi-truck escaped the collision without any reported injuries.
According to investigators from the OHP, the crash occurred when Mr. Robles-Almeida, the driver of the sedan, came to a stop on the Turner Turnpike for reasons yet to be determined. The semi-truck driver could not halt in time and collided with the sedan.
This collision resulted in the loss of two lives, Mr. Robles-Almeida and Mr. Vallecillo-Garcia, while a third individual, Mr. Lopez-Carrazco, remains in critical condition and under medical care.
As a result of this accident, one westbound lane of the Turner Turnpike has been temporarily blocked off.
Truckers Must Obey The Law To Protect Motorists From Serious Injury and Death
Fatal auto crashes cause 42,939 deaths yearly in the United States (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). From this staggering number, 1,700 of these deaths are caused by rear-end collisions. Rear-end collisions are avoidable crashes that should not happen.
There are many reasons why a vehicle may come to a stop on a public roadway. Vehicles on the road sometimes have to come to a complete stop due to road debris or a stalled car in front of them. Because of unexpected stopping on public roadways, drivers must maintain a safe distance from the car in front of them.
Truck drivers have an even bigger responsibility to keep a safe distance from the car in front of them. Trucks are more difficult to stop in emergency situations, and their massive size and weight can cause catastrophic harm in rear-end collisions.
This problem is compounded when a driver is distracted. We have found that many rear-end truck collisions occur because of distracted driving, like daydreaming, texting, or checking social media. We have also found speed to play a significant role in these preventable crashes.
Truck drivers who speed, are distracted, or are careless must be held accountable for their actions, especially when their actions cause severe injury or death.
While we do not know all the facts yet in this tragic accident in Oklahoma, we do know that the victims were crashed into the back by a semi-truck. This is unacceptable. This case will need to be investigated to determine exactly what happened and to ensure all wrongdoers are held accountable.
My thoughts and prayers are with all those suffering as a result of this crash.
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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in truck accident cases, with extensive experience in dealing with commercial truck accidents.
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.
