Jupiter, Florida — A woman died in a collision with a semi-truck Friday morning. The incident happened after a previous vehicle fire brought southbound traffic to a standstill on the Turnpike.
According to reports, a 2022 Dailmer tractor-trailer combination had come to a stop in the outside lane, facing south, when a 2022 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup approached from behind and failed to slow down and stop to avoid colliding with the tractor-trailer.
The front of the Dodge collided with the rear of the semi, and the pickup truck traveled underneath the tractor-trailer, getting trapped and catching fire.
The woman driving the Dodge died at the scene.
No further details have been released.
Thoughts on underride accidents and the injuries they cause
Underrides — dangerous and deadly. This incident involves an underride accident known for its heightened fatality risk. Underside accidents occur when a smaller vehicle collides with the underside of a larger truck or trailer. While some large trucks have guards designed to prevent underrides from happening, some trucks do not have these guards installed, while other trucks have guards that cannot withstand impact. To address this problem, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has set standards ensuring that underride guards can withstand the impact of a rear-end collision by a vehicle traveling at 35 mph. Truck companies that fail to meet NHTSA standards can be held accountable when an underride collision causes fatal injuries because their truck is not equipped for safety.
In many rear-end collisions involving large trucks, there is a tendency to blame the smaller vehicle’s driver for colliding with the truck. However, it’s important to recognize that this may not always be the case. Truck drivers play a significant role in ensuring road safety, considering their vehicles’ substantial size and weight. Additionally, truck companies have to ensure their trucks are equipped with the proper safety features so further injury doesn’t happen.
The family of the deceased deserves answers in the wake of this tragedy.
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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.
