Man Killed in Crash with a Parked Semi on US-41 in Palmetto, Florida

Palmetto, Fla. — A 35-year-old man lost his life when he crashed into a parked semi-truck, and both vehicles burst into flames. The incident happened at approximately 2:20 a.m. in Palmetto at the intersection of Piney Point Road.

 According to reports, the driver of a tractor-trailer rig full of plantains pulled over on the shoulder of the road because the driver could not access the Port of Manatee, where they had a scheduled shipment to drop off.

The man who crashed into the parked semi was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thoughts on parked semi-trucks

Another person loses their life senselessly. These accidents continue to happen and are becoming a recurring problem. Parking a semi-truck on the shoulder is never safe, especially when it is completely dark outside. More must be done to hold accountable the trucks that use our roads as parking or resting spots.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates that commercial trucks only park on the side of the highway in emergencies. Unfortunately, some commercial trucks ignore this regulation and park next to a lane of travel. While the news release states that the trucker parked on the shoulder due to inaccessibility to the Port, an investigation needs to determine if this is within reason. If it is determined that the truck was parked longer than accepted or should not have been there in the first place, the trucker should be held accountable for the life taken.

My hope is that the surviving family will receive the answers to any of their lingering questions.

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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.