According to reports from state police, the driver of a tractor trailer who was involved in a fatal crash in East Hanover Township earlier this month on Interstate 81 reportedly fled the scene after he realized that he had run over a motorcyclist.
A 46 year old motorcyclist was operating a Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle in the right lane of I-81 traveling north. For some reason, he then lost control of his motorcycle and veered off the roadway. According to police, the motorcycle then fell over on its side and slid back into the right lane of the highway. It was then that the tractor trailer ran over the motorcyclist. According to reports, the driver did stop briefly, but then quickly fled the scene after realizing what had happened.
The motorcycle rider, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lebanon County Coroner’s office.
While not revealed in reports, the driver of the tractor trailer could potentially face criminal charges related to him failing to remain at the scene. In Maryland, for example, state law requires that:
The driver of each vehicle involved in an accident that results in the death of another person immediately shall stop the vehicle as close as possible to the scene of the accident, without obstructing traffic more than necessary.
A failure to do so is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and other criminal penalties, such as a charge of vehicular manslaughter.
It is therefore in everyone’s best interests for drivers to stop and remain at the scene after they have been involved in an accident. In this case, for example, it appears as though the driver of the tractor trailer may not have been at fault, as the motorcycle was literally thrown back into traffic under his rig. The criminal charges, however, are in place in order to deter drivers from engaging in “hit and run” behavior, and are therefore intended to punish these types of actions. In some cases, however, a separate civil suit may be in order. Personal injury lawsuits are separate from criminal proceedings, and are intended to compensate victims for injuries and other losses suffered.
If you have been involved in a trucking accident, it is important that you act quickly to begin collecting evidence for your case. For example, many tractor-trailers have a camera mounted on or near the front window of the tractor that, upon impact, may end up recording the fifteen or thirty seconds before and after a collision, often showing what happened in front of the tractor and also what the driver was doing before or during the incident. However, in order to obtain this evidence, you must have a right to it, such as through a court proceeding. A failure to get an attorney involved early on can mean that this evidence is deliberately destroyed, lost, or ultimately erased.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident that occurred in the Maryland or Washington D.C. areas, contact the experienced trucking accident attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers today. Our Maryland trucking accident attorneys have the experience necessary to ensure that your trucking accident case is handled expertly and expediently. Further, our attorneys are dedicated to representing victims of trucking accidents, and we will fight to recover the damages you deserve. Contact us today in order to schedule your free initial consultation. You can reach us through our website, or by calling 1-800-654-1949.
More Blog Posts:
8 Vehicle Accident in Anne Arundel Results in at Least 3 Deaths, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published September 13, 2013
Driver Pleads Guilty in Tragic Truck Accident Collision Deaths, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published September 6, 2013