There’s no arguing against the laws of physics when it comes to serious traffic accidents. Here in Maryland, passenger car occupants as well as motorcyclists are killed on an uncomfortably frequent basis when caught in a collision with semi tractor-trailer rigs. It’s a known fact that smaller, less substantial motor vehicles — such as sedans, economy car, and minivans and SUVs — are no match for those larger and more massive commercial vehicles.
As Baltimore auto accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, I and my staff understand the physical pain and financial burden that a serious trucking accident can bring upon an auto accident victim and his family. Not only do the injuries from a car-truck collision sometimes take months to heal, if ever, but the cost of medial treatment and rehabilitation can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
From just this fact, it is always advisable to avoid 18-wheelers as much as possible when traveling on Maryland’s roadways. Although there is really no way to predict when an accident may occur, tangling with a big rig or commercial delivery truck can sometimes cause serious injuries. The shear mass of these large trucks also raises the possibility of fatalities depending, of course, on the circumstances. But why take the chance?
A news article we saw a while back indicated not only the deadly nature of commercial trucking wrecks, but also pointed out the frequency with which such crashes occur. According to reports, two drivers were killed by 18-wheelers in completely separate instances in the same county just hours apart from each other.
Based on news articles, Maryland State Police reported the two fatal tractor-trailer accidents in Caroline County over one weekend. Based on police information, one crash happened on a Saturday evening in Ridgely, MD. According to the news, 19-year-old Chad Clark of Denton died when he apparently failed to obey a stop sign at the intersection of Rte 404 and Downes Station Rd. As a result, Clark’s pickup was hit by a semi being operated by 49-year-old Timothy Crook of Centerville, MD. During that crash, police reported that the 18-wheeler was forced down a nearby embankment when it came to rest. The trucker came away with only minor injuries.
The next day in a second deadly crash, a vehicle reportedly driven by 55-year-old Sharon Ross of Federalsburg, MD, hit a big rig after the woman apparently failed to stop at a red traffic signal at Bloomingdale Ave. and Rte 313. The passenger car struck the side of the tractor trailer and reportedly became lodged underneath the commercial vehicle driven by 42-year-old John Dickenson.
Police reports indicated that the car was then dragged more than 100 yeards down the road before coming to rest. Sadly, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver only had minor injuries following the crash.
Deadly Weekend on Caroline County Roads, WBOC.com, December 19, 2010