Long Island Cop Killed After His Patrol Car Is Struck By Flatbed Truck

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Posted on 6th February 2011 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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 A Long Island, N.Y., police officer was killed Saturday after a flatback truck slammed into his parked patrol car.

 http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/02/06/li-officers-mourn-for-losing-one-of-our-best/#

Nassau County police officer Michael Califano, 44, died of injuries he sustained as he sat in his cruiser Friday night while doing a routine traffic stop on the Long Island Expressway.  

Califano’s patrol car was hit from behind by John Kaley, 25, of Connecticut, who fell asleep while driving a massive flatbed truck. The cruiser was pushed about 100 feet until it was driven underneath, and crushed under, a box truck.

Kaley was charged with criminally negligent homicide after Califano died Saturday morning.

One Driver Killed In Multi-Truck Accident On New Jersey Turnpike

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Posted on 21st October 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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One driver was killed Wednesday in an eight-vehicle accident — involving two tractor trailers, a dump truck, a box truck, a pickup truck and three cars — on the New Jersey Turnpike.

 http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/fatal_accident_on_nj_turnpike.html

The crash took place south of interchange 13A in Elizabeth not far from Newark International Airport.

According to The Star-Ledger of Newark, the driver of the pickup truck died in the crash and several other drivers were hurt.

Police were investigating the cause of the accident, which at one point had Turnpike traffic backed up for 12 miles.

 

Two Babies Die In Multiple-Vehicle Gas Tanker Crash In Phoenix

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Posted on 6th September 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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In a particulary horrendous accident in Phoenix, two babies were killed Saturday in a multiple-vehicle crash that included a gas tanker.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/09/05/2-babies-killed-in-Arizona-crash/UPI-11721283661156/

The accident took place when a car on Interstate 10 slowed down to rubberneck, and look at a small collision. The distracted driver of that car then cut off a minivan, and that van hit its brakes.

A small sedan car smacked into the minivan, and then a gas tanker hit the two vehicles and overturned on its side.

Unfortunately, there was a 13-month-old girl, a 3-week-old boy, with their mother in the sedan. They were all transported to a local hospital. The babies died shortly before 4 p.m.

 An occupant of the minivan had minor injuries, and the tanker driver was safe.

But Arizona police were searching for the driver of the white or gray Dodge Magnum that cut off the minivan.

Motorcyclist Who Suffered Brain Injury In Tractor-Trailer Accident Gets $6.5 Million Settlement

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Posted on 25th August 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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A motorcyclist who sustained brain injury when a tractor-trailer crashed into him in Missouri has settled his case for $6.5 million, according to a press release

 http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100823006327/en/St.-Louis-MO-based-Page-Law-announces-6.5″ target=”_blank”

The motorcyclist had filed suit in St. Louis against Allied Systems Ltd. and its truck driver. The driver, who was both the owner-operator of a tractor-trailer and an employee of Allied, on May 1, 2005 drove to a repair shop to have the brakes on his tractor replaced.

When he arrived, the shop was closed. The driver then proceeded to pick up a load that Allied had dispatched him to  earlier that morning.

En route, the tractor-trailer crashed into the back of a motorcycle that was allegedly slowing or stopped on the highway in Benton County, Mo. The 48-year-old motorcyclist suffered permanent brain damage as a result of the crash.

In his lawsuit, the motorcyclist alleged that the brakes on the tractor-trailer were defective and that both the driver and the trucking company, as the driver’s employer, were liable.

The motorcyclist was represented by lead counsel John Page, who said, “Ultimately we were able to resolve this case for an amount that will help our client make up for the harms and losses he and his family suffered as a result of this crash.”

The trucking company filed for bankruptcy in Georgia, forcing the motorcyclist’s attorneys to obtain permission from the bankruptcy court in Georgia to proceed in the Missouri personal injury case. Once the bankruptcy judge granted permission, a St. Louis City Circuit Court judge transferred the case to Benton County, Mo.

The driver’s insurance carrier agreed to settle for $1 million. Allied denied the driver was acting in the course and scope of his employment at the time of the crash. The case was mediated by Judge Corrigan in St. Louis.

The highest offer at mediation was $1.8 million. During the trial, Allied offered $2.5 million, which the motorcyclist  refused. As the trial progressed, Allied offered $3.5 million, which was also rejected. During the second week of trial, Allied offered to settle for $5.5 million in new money. The motorcyclist accepted this offer to settle in addition to the driver’s $1 million policy for a total of $6.5 million.

“We put a significant amount of time and effort into obtaining this result for our client. Five years was a long time to be working on the case,” Page said. “Ultimately we were able to resolve this case for an amount that will help our client make up for the harms and losses he and his family suffered as a result of this crash.”

Appellate Court Affirms $65 Million For Woman In Florida Truck Crash

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Posted on 20th August 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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A federal court has upheld a $65 million verdict for a young woman who received massive injuries when her car was truck by a tractor-trailer in Zolfo Springs, Fla. 

 http://www.theledger.com/article/20100818/NEWS/8185003/1002/SPORTS?Title=Appeals-Court-Upholds-65-Million-Verdict-for-Woman-in-2007-Crash

Kendra Lymon, only 19 when the accident took place, was a star student with a great life ahead of her. Now as a result of the accident, she is unable to take care of herself and requires constant supervision.

A resident of Wauchula, Fla., Lymon had been a student at South Florida Community College majoring in psychology; worked as an aide for the Florida Institute of Neurologic Rehabilitation; and spoke six languages.

The 2nd District Court of Appeals affirmed a March 18, 2009, jury verdict in favor of Lymon and her family, for her suit after her Dodge Neon was struck by the truck Aug. 21, 2007.

 The defendants Bynum Transport and truck driver Robert Bohn tried to get the $65 million verdict reduced, claiming it was excessive. They argued that $41.4 million that the jury granted for pain and suffering, mental anguish and “loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life.”

 

 

Eight Killed In Off-Road Truck Racing Accident In Southern California

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Posted on 16th August 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Thrills are a real lure to some people, and that’s one reason why fans of off-road racing love that sport, according to The Los Angeles Times Monday.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-california-200-20100816,0,2728389,full.story

“Nothing beats the danger, dust and noise of watching 3,500-pound trucks roaring past — close enough almost to touch – and then rocketing into the air over treacherous jumps,” The Times wrote.

Tragically, the danger turned deadly in the Mohave Desert in California Saturday, when one of the racing trucks went out of control during a jump and flew into a crowd of spectators. Eight people were killed and five others were seriously hurt. Six people died at the actual scene, with two others succumbing to their injuries at local hospitals.   

The racer who was driving the modified Ford Ranger that became a deadly rocket was Brett Sloppy, 28, of San Marcos, Calif. It was his truck that went airborne when it hit a spot called “the rock pile,” rolling over fans who were too close to the race course to have time to get out of the way.

In their defense, there was no fence or barrier to hold them away from the race course.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/accident-at-california-off-road-race-kills-eight/19594078?icid=main|main|dl1|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fnation%2Farticle%2Faccident-at-california-off-road-race-kills-eight%2F19594078Df 

AOL News reported that Sloppy wasn’t hurt, but that he had to flee from the fatal accident scene when the crowd began throwing rocks at him.

The crash took place during the California 200, which is run in the Soggy Dry Lake Bed some 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles. It’s an annual race that draws thousands of fans who view the 50-mile dirt track from the sidelines.     

As AOL News pointed out, this recent crash in the “Mad Max”-like setting of the Mohave is just one of several accidents where spectators were killed at races this year. In the spring, for example, a woman was hit and killed by a flying tire when a car crashed at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Ariz.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it’s time to craft safety measures that will protect racing fans.

Eating While Driving Can Be Dangerous, As FedEx Truck Driver Found Out

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Posted on 16th July 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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There’s been a lot of press this year about the dangers of  motorists using their cellphones or texting while driving, with Oprah Winfrey even taking up the crusade.

But we should remember that our full attention should always be on the road when we’re behind the wheel. And texting isn’t the only distraction than can lead to an accident. Eating while driving is another one.

For example, do you scarf down a quick McMuffin when you’re late and driving to work, or do you like to snack while taking long trips during family vacations in the summer? And should a truck driver manning a tractor-trailer, a potentially lethal weapon, be eating while driving?

Edward Sutherland found out the hard way that’s it’s not very smart to be chowing down food when you are at the helm of a big rig. Sutherland, 42, was driving a FedEx tractor-trailer Monday in Washington State near the Canadian border, and noshing on spicy pork rinds at the same time, according to the Associated Press.  

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2010/07/13/20100713washington-crash-pork-rinds.html

Sutherland suddenly started choking on the pork rinds. He lost control of his rig on Interstate 5, and swerved over a median from a southbound lane to a northbound lane. The truck  jackknifed and landed in a ditch.

Miraculously, Sutherland’s rig didn’t hit any other vehicles and he only sustained minor injuiries. But he will be charged with “driving with wheels off  the roadway.”

But here is the obvious lesson to be learned: Don’t eat while driving. It is not only a potential distraction, but you could also choke doing it.

 

 

New Haven Is Connecticut’s Truck Accident Capital

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Posted on 18th June 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Connecticut’s New Haven is a  high-danger zone for trucks, according to an editorial Wednesday in The New Haven Register.

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2010/06/16/opinion/doc4c1844d4efcc9348188618.txt

Citing recent data from the state Department of Motor Vehicles, the newspaper said that “drivers of commercial vehicles on highways in New Haven ended up in well over double the number of accidents than than in any other city in the state.”

There were 183 truck accidents in New Haven from November 2008 to October 2009, according to the Motor Vehicle Department.

Hartford only had 70 truck accidents during that period, and Milford had 69.

The Register noted that the state motor vehicle department doesn’t know why these Nutmeg State cities have so many truck accidents. But one theory is that a lot of trucks take I-95 through New Haven rather than Interstate 84 in Hartford, according to the editorial.

Another idea is that construction on two new bridges is distracting truckers, and that the traffic reroutings because of the construction work are causing accidents.

The other “plausible explanation” for all the truck accidents, we are told, is the poor design of local highways and the heavy traffic in the area. The paper points out that ”the intersection of I-91 and I-95 pops up on lists of worst bottlenecks in the country.”

Obviously, these are problems that can’t be solved overnight. But the Register said that police and the motor vehicle  division have kicked up their inspections of trucks, and the paper hopes those increased checks will continue and perhaps make “accident hot spots” safer.   

Trucker Who Caused Kentucky Crash, Killing 11, Was Using Cellphone

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Posted on 12th May 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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The truck driver who caused a horrific accident in Kentucky March 26, killing himself and 10 passengers in a van on their way to a wedding, was talking on his cellphone up to the time of the crash and appeared to have been speeding, ccording to a Kentucky State Police report. 

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70330

The trucker, Kenneth Laymon of Alabama, worked for Hester Inc., which has 25 tractor-trailers. He was traveling along Interstate 65 near Munfordville, Ky., when he crossed a median and struck an oncoming 15-seat Dodge van head-on.  

Most of the passengers in the van were Mennonites who were on their way from Burkesville, Ky., to a wedding in Iowa.

The tragedy took place shortly after 5:30 a.m., about 40 miles northwest The van had left from Burkesville, Kyof Bowling Green, not far from Mammoth Cave National Park.

But there were two survivors of the accident, two young brothers. They were both strapped into child safety seats, and lived after being thrown from the van.

The Mennonite deceased included John Esh, 64, and his 62-yar-old wife Sadie Esh, who owned a vinyl siding business in Marrowbone, Ky.

In addition, four of the Esh’s 12 children were killed, as well as their daughter-in-law, their youngest daughter’s fiancé, their infant grandchild and a family friend. The only crash survivors who were passengers in the van were the Eshes’ two grandsons, 5-year-old Josiah Esh and 3-year-old Johnny Esh.

Their adopted baby brother, Jalen, died in the collision.

The New York Times called the crash the worst two-vehicle highway crash in Kentucky since 1988. There were 27 people killed in that accident.

 

 

 

Series of Truck Accidents Leave a Trail of Deaths

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Posted on 5th April 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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In a rather frightening turn of events, there has been a glut of fatal truck accidents in the past few weeks. Just this Wednesday, three Marine Corps recruits died in a multi-vehicle accident near Leavittsburg, Ohio. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/04/01/Ohio-pileup-kills-three-USMC-recruits/UPI-12991270137784/

The three victims were headed to Cleveland to take a military exam when they became part of a fatal pileup in Warren Township, Ohio, on State Route 5.

All three Marine recruits were in the back seat of a Pontiac when a semi-truck hit the rear of their vehicle at an intersection near Leavittsburg. Then several other cars plowed into them.

The three victims were Zachery Nolan, 19, of Newton Falls, Joshua Sherbourne, 21, of Southington, and Michael Theodore Jr., 19, of Warren.

The driver of the Pontiac, Marine Sgt. Charles Keene, and his front-seat passenger were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Of course, last week there was the horrific accident where a semi-truck crashed into a van in Kentucky filled with a Mennonite family on its way to a wedding in Iowa. That accident left 11 people dead.

Also last week, a dump truck plowed into a group of motorcyclists on Carefree Highway in Phoenix. Eight motorcycles were stopped at a red light last Friday when a sanitation truck slammed into them. Four people died from injuries sustained in that crash. http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/03/26/20100326phoenix-motorcycle-crash-folo0326.html

Motorcyclists Clyde Nachand, 67, Stephen Punch, 52, and Daniel Butler, 35, died at the scene. A fourth victim, Dayle Veronica Downs-Totonchi, 47, died at a hospital a day after the crash.

The dump truck’s driver, Ernie Lizarraga, had surgery performed and was in serious condition.

A witness who talked to Lizarraga after the crash, Walgreen employee Tania Krukoff, told The Arizona Republic that the driver was in shock,

“He told me he wasn’t paying attention, just shuffling with his paperwork,” Krukoff told The Republic. “

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