Imagine you are driving on the highway when the trailer of a passing semi truck suddenly swings across the median, into your path. Maybe one second later, you have crashed into the trailer. It is very likely that you and your passengers will be seriously hurt as a result of colliding with such a huge, out-of-control object.
Nearly four months after a person was killed in just this type of scenario, the driver of the tractor-trailer involved has been charged with a serious crime. Pennsylvania authorities recently charged the driver with homicide by vehicle. They accuse him of causing the man’s death by speeding and failing to properly secure his trailer to his truck’s cab.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, on April 27 the defendant was driving his tractor-trailer, allegedly at excessive speed, when he lost control and veered out of his lane. While he tried to get back into his original lane, the trailer came loose and entered the southbound side of the street.
It crashed into a truck, severing the cab and trapping the severely injured driver inside. He died at the scene.
Besides possibly speeding and not attaching the trailer to his cab appropriately, the driver is accused of essentially driving with a suspended license. The district attorney handling the case said the accused driver’s New York license was about to be suspended in 2011 when he obtained a Pennsylvania license.
If true, this combination of negligence and recklessness caused the death of another person. We do not know whether this victim left behind a family that relied on his companionship and income, but all too frequently, truck accidents cause the death of beloved parents, children and spouses.