ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A motorcyclist lost their life in a crash involving a parked truck along S Kirkman Road near Universal Boulevard.
The crash occurred when a motorcycle traveling southbound left the roadway and struck the rear of a stationary 2004 Freightliner truck parked on the northbound shoulder.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene and pronounced the motorcyclist dead.
No additional information is currently available.
Public roadways are not where trucks should be parked
When we hear about crashes like this one involving a motorcycle and a semi-truck, many people’s first reaction is to think the fault lies solely with the motorcyclist. But this is not always so.
Accident reports often place blame on the driver who strikes a parked semi-truck, but in my experience, these cases require closer investigation. The key question is whether the truck should have been parked on the roadside at all. A semi-truck parked in the wrong place can create a serious and unexpected hazard—one that may have been entirely avoidable.
We recently represented a family whose loved one died after hitting a parked semi-truck. While authorities determined the deceased was responsible because he struck a stationary vehicle, our investigation determined that the truck should not have been there in the first place. When the grieving family reached out to us, we immediately focused on understanding why the truck driver had pulled over. We knew from experience that a truck driver’s reason for parking on the side of the road could reveal important details about responsibility for the accident.
In this case, the truck driver claimed he had pulled over due to a flat tire, which initially appeared to be a legitimate emergency. However, our investigation revealed that this “emergency” was entirely preventable. The tire had been under-inflated for months, gradually weakening its structure until failure was inevitable. This wasn’t a sudden emergency: it was the predictable result of the trucking company’s failure to maintain its vehicle properly. The company had ignored basic maintenance requirements, ultimately creating conditions that would force its driver to park in a dangerous location.
By investigating beyond the surface-level facts, we uncovered corporate negligence that contributed to this tragic loss of life. The family received not just compensation but answers about what really happened to their loved one.
The surviving family of the motorcyclist deserves the same answers. Could this accident have had a different outcome if the semi-truck had not been parked on the shoulder? Would injuries have been less severe?
Loved ones deserve to know. Loved ones deserve answers. And if any negligence is discovered, they deserve accountability. A thorough investigation that goes beyond the initial police report will help provide the family with answers.
May all the facts of what happened come to light.
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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in auto and truck accidents that result in serious injury or death.
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.
