Allen Parish, Louisiana – – A two-vehicle crash on Monday morning along U.S. 165, just south of Ikes Road, in Allen Parish, resulted in the loss of a 33-year-old Elton man, Terrance Dewayne Dartez.
According to Trooper Senegal, the accident occurred as a 2019 Mack, a rear-loader garbage truck, was heading south on U.S. 165. The garbage truck driver was in the process of slowing down, moving onto the shoulder of the roadway for trash collection.
Simultaneously, a 2012 Ford F350 pickup truck was traveling south on U.S. 165 and approaching the garbage truck from the rear. As the garbage truck decelerated, the pickup driver failed to reduce his speed in time. The front passenger side of the Ford collided with the left rear of the garbage truck.
Terrance Dartez sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup truck driver sustained moderate injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
The driver and passenger of the garbage truck sustained moderate injuries.
More Details Needed to Determine What Caused the Fatal Accident with the Garbage Truck
About 15 people will die daily in large truck collisions (The National Safety Council). Any time an accident like this happens, it is important that all angles of the accident are examined to ensure all parties at fault are identified.
At a glance, it may seem like the passenger truck driver is at fault for this crash. However, after years of experience handling these cases, I have discovered most accidents involve the wrongdoing of more than one party.
Truck drivers must follow rules designed to prevent accidents from happening. For example, trained truck drivers must stop only when safe to do so and use proper lighting and other precautions to alert passing motorists of the truck’s presence. While all motorists must avoid hitting other vehicles, motorists stopping next to lanes of moving traffic must also take precautions to protect passing vehicles.
With the available facts, we cannot determine what happened leading up to this crash. More information must be provided through a detailed investigation of all the facts. One thing is for certain: a young man lost his life, and a family will be left mourning his loss. The family did nothing wrong here; the passenger in the vehicle did nothing wrong here. The family deserves to know what happened and receive the closure they need to move forward.
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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.