Green, Oregon — A collision involving two semi-trucks resulted in the death of two individuals and injuries to another person on Highway 42. The incident happened around 1:22 p.m. on Wednesday.
Oregon State Police reported a tanker truck entered the center turn lane to merge onto Highway 42, which led to a Jeep traveling in the left lane to stop abruptly. A log truck following the Jeep attempted to brake but could not stop, crashing into the rear of the vehicle.
Car passengers Brandon Gobershock and Tabitha M. Romans were pronounced dead at the scene. The car’s driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
No other injuries were reported.
Thoughts on Fatal Truck Crashes
This is a horrific crash that has left multiple people dead and many questions unanswered. The surviving families deserve to know exactly why their loved ones were killed and assurance that steps are being taken to hold those responsible accountable.
One of the first rules of road safety is to provide enough space between you and another vehicle that you can stop without hitting them. It is clear that this did not happen here, and authorities and independent investigators need to determine why.
The number one cause of rear-end collisions is driver error of some type. Was the trucker distracted, fatigued, or under the influence? Such behavior is inappropriate for all drivers and completely unacceptable for commercial operators.
Commercial operators are trained in special rules that they must follow to protect the motoring public from crashes just like this. The trucking industry knows trucks are more difficult to stop than other vehicles. They also know a crash between a semi-truck and a standard passenger vehicle is extremely dangerous and routinely results in serious injury and death to occupants of passenger vehicles. When a trucker does not take adequate precautions to avoid a crash, they must be held responsible.
Because of the seriousness of these types of crashes, the responsibility to drive safely extends beyond the driver onto the company. Trucking companies are responsible for training their drivers on all rules of the road and ensuring these rules are followed. When a trucking company takes a lax approach to road safety, truckers become complacent in their duties, and serious accidents occur. In many cases, a trucking company is ultimately responsible for the actions of their drivers taken in the course of their employment.
What happened in the moments leading up to this crash must be investigated. Those responsible should be held accountable for the immeasurable suffering the survivors must deal with as a result of their loved one’s passing. May the information needed to find justice be brought to light, and all those suffering from this crash find the help and answers they deserve.
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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.
