A Maryland woman narrowly escaped tragedy when her car was struck by a tractor-trailer, and forced off of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge last Friday.
Maryland Transportation Authority police reported that a young woman was driving a 2007 Chrysler Sebring which was hit by a tractor-trailer and knocked into the bay 40 feet below. Police said the car ended up in about 8 feet of water. The woman managed to escape the submerged vehicle and swim to safety. After she reached safety, the woman was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma for treatment, and was released the following day.
Three vehicles were reportedly involved in the collision. According to reports, the driver of the truck and the individuals in the third vehicle were not injured.
The company for whom the driver was working at the time of the accident later released a statement, stating that they were glad to hear that no serious injuries occurred as a result of the crash, and that they intend to cooperate fully with Maryland State and U.S. Transportation authorities as they conduct their usual investigations.
According to one report, the tractor-trailer forced the car to travel up and over the bridge’s wall dropping it approximately 40 feet before it hit the water in the shallow end about a mile east of the toll plaza. The last time a vehicle went over the bridge was reportedly in 2008, and ended in the death of a tractor-trailer driver.
This story is a fairly dramatic example of the damage that large trucks can cause simply due to their size. While it is possible that another car could have forced this woman off of the bridge, due to the substantially smaller gross weight, it is much less likely.
As professionals, truck drivers are required to adhere to specific federal and state safety regulations, which include the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. In Maryland, commercial drivers are held to specific standards under Maryland’s commercial vehicle law. A violation of those rules may be enough to hold a driver liable if something goes wrong while they’re out on the road, which is why it is critical that you seek the counsel of a law firm that is intimately familiar with the nuances of Maryland’s relevant trucking rules and regulations.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident that occurred in Maryland or Washington D.C. area, contact Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers today. We are a full service personal injury law firm with an extensive track record of success in handling truck and trucking accident cases. Our Maryland trucking accident 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:
Serious Truck Accident Temporarily Shuts Down Southbound Lanes of Interstate 81, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published July 10, 2013
Tractor Trailer Collision Leads to Fuel Spill on Route 351, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published July 3, 2013