Even police are not immune to trucking-related accidents. Not long ago, an officer from the Montgomery County Police Department was injured trying to avoid an out of control tractor-trailer rig. As part of our work involving Maryland personal injury suits, my firm also handles a wide range of trucking accident cases. These include injury accidents from truck crashes, fatal collisions with big rigs, and pedestrian deaths and injuries from commercial delivery trucks.
This latest news article tells a story of unforeseen consequences, which the officer in question acknowledged was not foremost in her mind when confronted by a jackknifing tractor-trailer on a bridge along the Capital Beltway in the middle of the night.
Based on news articles, Officer Sarah White received a call just after 2am on October 6 to handle traffic control at the scene of a truck crash. The incident occurred on the inner loop of the Beltway between the Georgia Avenue and U.S. 29/Colesville Road exits. The crash scene was blocking the far right-hand lane.
According to reports, White arrived and parked her cruiser in the right lane, behind the disabled truck. Another officer had laid down about a dozen roadway flares to illuminate the scene. As White was patrolling the area on foot she noticed another semi-tractor coming around a curve toward the accident scene.
That truck had also just lost control and was heading directly for her. Skidding and jackknifing, it was obvious to the officer that the 18-wheeler was about to ram her cruiser and likely shower her with deadly debris. As a result, White took action and jumped out of the way.
Unfortunately, in trying to avoid the impending collision she jumped right off the side of the bridge. The 5-foot-tall female officer fell 24 feet to a grassy area beneath the roadway overhead. As a result, she experienced some back and hip pain, but was described as being in generally good condition considering having fallen more than two stories.
While this is a work-related accident, the reason is due to a truck driver losing control and causing a dangerous situation. Although White’s X-rays and CAT scan results were reportedly negative, her back was still very sore. At the time of the news report, she was scheduled for an MRI and some other tests; there couple possibly be some long-term injury that is not yet apparent to the officer. This is why I always recommend that people injured as a result of a trucking accident seek professional legal advice as soon as possible to learn about their options.
With Seconds To React, Officer Leaps And Lives, WashingtonPost.com, October 15, 2009