Fatal Trucking Accidents

Truck Driver Responsible for Accident Critically Injuring Tracy Morgan Seeks Dismissal of Criminal Charges

September 10, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last year, actor and comedian Tracy Morgan was involved in a New Jersey truck accident that left Morgan seriously injured and claimed the life of one of his good friends, James McNair. According to a report by People Magazine, the Wal-Mart truck driver who was behind the wheel when the accident occurred has recently asked a judge to dismiss the criminal charges that were filed against him after the accident.

Court documents filed by the truck driver’s attorney claim that the driver will not be able to get a fair trial, due to the mass media coverage of the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board conducted an investigation into the accident and determined that the truck driver was at fault.

Back on June 7, 2014, the driver of the truck rear-ended the vehicle Morgan and friends were in while on the New Jersey Turnpike. A subsequent investigation revealed that the driver had not slept for the past 28 hours and was traveling at least 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in a construction zone.

Semi-Trucks Collide on Highway, One Injured

September 3, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month in West Virginia, one person was seriously injured when one semi-truck rear-ended another truck that was parked on the side of the highway. According to one local West Virginia news source, the accident occurred in the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 on a Friday afternoon.

Evidently, one semi-truck had attempted to pull off the highway at a rest area but missed the exit. Rather than wait until the next rest area or exit, that driver pulled his car off to the side of the highway. Another truck traveling northbound on I-81 was unable to avoid a collision with the stopped truck and crashed into it from behind.

As emergency responders arrived on the scene, they needed to extricate one person who was in the sleeper area of the truck. That person was taken to a nearby hospital and admitted with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the semi-truck that had stopped on the side of the road was cited by police for a stopping violation. It is unclear how much of the truck was actually encroaching on the road at the time of the accident. However, given the reports by police, it seems that the truck was not completely off the side of the road at the time of the accident.

Eight-Vehicle Accident Claims the Life of One Maryland Woman

August 25, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, an eight-vehicle accident near New Haven, Connecticut, claimed two lives, including a 61-year-old woman from Maryland. According to one local Connecticut news source, the accident took place on Interstate 95 southbound, at around 5:30 in the morning.

Evidently, a semi-truck traveling in the southbound lanes of travel veered off the road near exit 70, crashed into the guard rail, and then slammed into an abutment. The contents of the truck spilled across the road, and the truck caught fire. The driver of the truck was pulled out by emergency crew members and immediately taken to the hospital, where he was admitted with serious injuries.

Seven other vehicles were also involved in the fatal accident, with a total of two people losing their lives. One 61-year-old woman from Maryland and another 38-year-old woman from Alabama both died as a result of the injuries they sustained in the accident. Two others were injured in the accident but suffered only minor injuries. Three people were not injured at all and were able to immediately go home.

Two Dead, One Injured in Late-Night Maryland Truck Accident

August 11, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, two men were killed as a result of an head-on accident between a semi-truck and a passenger car. According to one local news source, the accident occurred at around 2:30 in the morning on Interstate 70, near Hancock, Maryland.

Evidently, the driver of the semi-truck was heading east in his proper lane of travel when the passenger car crossed over the center line, colliding with the truck. The force from the accident then sent the truck into a nearby abutment on the side of the road. By the time emergency responders arrived on the scene, the truck driver was pronounced dead. The passenger in the other vehicle, a 22-year-old male, also died in the accident.

The driver of the car, a 57-year-old woman from Fruitland, was taken to Shock Trauma and is in serious condition. She is the mother of the passenger who died in the accident.

Semi-Truck Driver Charged in Fatal I-95 Truck Accident

July 28, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month near Richmond, Virginia, two men on motorcycles were killed when they were both struck by a semi-truck driver. According to one local Virginia news source, the semi-truck driver is facing charges based on the belief that he fell asleep while behind the wheel in the moments before the fatal accident.

According to one witness, the semi-truck drifted out of the southbound-middle lane and onto the side of the highway, where there were about six motorcyclists who had pulled off the road. Evidently, the motorcyclists were on their way to a motorcycle rally in Atlanta, Georgia.

Witnesses told reporters that once the semi-truck left the roadway, it collided with all six motorcycles. One man was standing next to his bike and was struck by the semi-truck. That man was pronounced dead by emergency workers at the scene of the accident. There were five others who were injured as well, most of them sitting on their bikes as the truck came crashing through. Thankfully, they are all expected to recover from their injuries.

Three Driver’s Ed Students Die in Devastating Truck Accident

July 21, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Orange County, New York, three teens were killed and another seriously injured in an accident that occurred while they were out on the road with a driving instructor for their driver’s education class. According to one local New York news source, the accident occurred when a tractor-trailer entered the intersection and T-boned the teens’ vehicle.

Evidently, the intersection gives red flashing signals to one direction and yellow flashing signals to the other. The teens stopped at the red signal and then proceeded through the intersection. The truck driver drove through the yellow flashing signal and was unable to stop in time, colliding with the teens’ vehicle.

A 16-year-old girl was driving the vehicle at the time, and the instructor was in the front passenger seat. There were three teenage males in the back seat. Two of the males in the back were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders. The driver and third back-seat passenger were airlifted to a nearby hospital and admitted in critical condition. While the teenage driver was ultimately released, the third male teen succumbed to his injuries and passed away a few days after the accident. Both the driving instructor and the driver of the truck were also admitted to the hospital with serious injuries. However, they are both are expected to make full recoveries.

Virginia Semi-Truck Accident Claims One Man’s Life

July 14, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Carroll County, Virginia, one man was killed when he was involved in a semi-truck accident. According to one local news source, the accident took place around eight in the morning in the southbound lanes of Interstate 77, near mile marker 22.

Evidently, the semi-truck was towing two trailers and traveling in the northbound lanes when the driver lost control of the vehicle. As the driver attempted to regain control, the truck crossed over the median and entered into the northbound lanes. The large truck and two trailers then tipped over in the middle of the highway. A passing Chevrolet Aveo was unable to avoid the truck in the middle of the road and collided with the second of the truck’s trailers.

The driver of the semi-truck sustained fatal injuries in the accident and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders. The driver of the Chevrolet Aveo sustained minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. She is expected to make a full recovery. Police have not determined what the cause of the fatal truck accident was, but an investigation is ongoing.

Construction Worker Killed in I-95 Beltsville Truck Accident

July 7, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Beltsville, Maryland, one man was killed when a semi-truck crashed through a construction site on Interstate 95. According to one local news report, the fatal truck accident took place at around 1:30 in the morning near the crossing with Md. 200.

Evidently, the right lane and the ramp of Interstate 95 northbound were both closed for an ongoing construction project. As the semi-truck was heading north, it failed to negotiate a turn in the road and crashed into a truck with lighted arrow signs on top of it placed to direct traffic away from the project. Both the warning truck as well as the semi-truck continued down the highway after the initial collision and struck another construction vehicle before running over the 65-year-old construction worker.

Preliminary reports indicate that the construction crew had placed all appropriate traffic-control and warning devices. The driver of the semi-truck was taken to the hospital as well, although with only minor injuries.

Student on His Way to School in Creskill Killed When Struck by Semi-Truck

June 25, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Cresskill, a middle-school student was struck and killed by a semi-truck as he was riding his bike to school. According to one local news source, the tragic accident took place in the morning hours on Grant Avenue.

Evidently, the driver of the semi-truck was making a left turn onto Grant Avenue when he struck the student, who was riding his bike at the time. The student was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency workers. The cause of death was listed as blunt-force trauma to the head.

A crossing guard who witnessed the accident told reporters that she first noticed the truck because she thought it couldn’t make the turn onto Grant Avenue. Then, she said she heard the truck’s driver screaming “Oh my God! Oh my God!” She then discovered that the young boy had been hit. The same crossing guard told reporters that “it was just a tragic accident” and that “nobody should be blamed.” However, she also told reporters that she had scolded the young boy earlier in the week for riding his bike too fast while on his way to school.

Tracy Morgan Settles with Wal-Mart Regarding Last Year’s Truck Accident

June 4, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In June of last year, a Wal-Mart truck allegedly failed to slow down for an approaching construction project, rear-ending the limousine that Tracy Morgan and his entourage were occupying. A fellow comedian, and one of Mr. Morgan’s good friends, James McNair, was killed in the accident. Tracy Morgan was seriously injured, suffering a broken leg, broken ribs, and a broken nose.

According to one news source, Wal-Mart and Mr. Morgan reached an agreed-upon settlement for the case earlier this month. The details of the settlement agreement have not been made public, likely as a condition of the agreement. However, Mr. Morgan told reporters that “Wal-Mart did right by me and my family, and for my associates and their families. I am grateful that the case was resolved amicably.”

The allegations in the case were serious. There was evidence that the truck was traveling at around 20 miles per hour over the speed limit at the time of the accident. Additionally, the driver of the truck was allegedly near his drive-time limit and had not slept for the past 24 hours.