Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Tractor Trailer Hit and Run on Interstate 81

September 20, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.

8 Vehicle Accident in Anne Arundel Results in at Least 3 Deaths

September 13, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Late last month, Anne Arundel County Police responded to a multiple vehicle crash at MD Route 3 South near the MD Route 32 overpass. The crash involved seven passenger vehicles and one commercial vehicle. It resulted in the deaths of three people, with an additional six people being to area hospitals for treatment of injuries. Two of the six injured subjects suffered possibly life-threatening injuries.

An investigation by the Anne Arundel County Police Traffic Safety Section revealed that all of vehicles involved in the crash were traveling southbound on Route 3. As the vehicles neared the MD Route 32 overpass, traffic began to slow down due local traffic conditions. The commercial truck failed to reduce its speed properly, and struck a Toyota Camry from the rear. The initial collision caused a chain reaction with the other vehicles.

The driver of the Camry was transported with with critical injuries to Shock Trauma. The Camry’s front seat passenger a 15 year old boy, was also transported to Shock Trauma in stable condition. An adult female, and 7 and 14 year old girls, all of whom were sitting in the back seat, were killed in the collision.

Driver Pleads Guilty in Tragic Truck Accident Collision Deaths

September 6, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

An Illinois trucker recently pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the accident he was involved in which left a pregnant mother, her husband, and their two children dead.

The tractor-trailer driver slammed into the back of stopped traffic on a major highway in Nebraska, instantly killing a Maryland family who was in the process of moving to California.

According to paperwork filed by the relevant County Attorney’s office, the driver agreed to a deal with prosecutors, whereby he will plead guilty to four counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of motor vehicle homicide of an unborn fetus in exchange for prosecutors recommending an aggregate sentence of no more than 20 years.

The accident occurred when the driver failed to slow down in an area where crews were tending to an earlier fatal accident, and traffic was completely stopped. His truck plowed into the back of a Ford Mustang, which was driven by the father of the young children. The Mustang then forced the Corolla in front of him, driven by his wife, forward and then underneath the trailer of a truck that was stopped in front of her car. Both cars then burst into flames. The mother was approximately 30 weeks pregnant, and died with her husband and their two and three-year-old sons.

Tractor Trailer Collision and Fire on I-95

August 28, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Drivers traveling on Interstate 95 near the Baltimore Beltway last week may have encountered serious traffic delays in the area just south of Interstate 695, when lanes were closed due to a tractor-trailer crashing and erupting into flames.

Maryland State Police say the blaze started around three in the morning last Tuesday, after a tractor-trailer hit a disabled tow truck, which was being towed away by a second tow truck. Luckily, the driver of the tractor-trailer driver was able to get out of his vehicle before it became engulfed in flames, and no injuries were reported.

A cleanup crew from the Maryland Department of Environment Hazardous Materials responded to the scene in order to clean up some gas that had spilled on the highway. An investigation into the collision is ongoing.

National Report Released Regarding Chesapeake Bay Bridge Accident

August 21, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report earlier this month regarding its findings in the investigation of the July 19 collision in which a tractor-trailer pushed another vehicle over the railing of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The most surprising conclusion of the report was that the driver of the tractor-trailer was on his first solo drive within the United States.

At the time of the collision, the tractor-trailer collided with a young woman’s car, sending it into another vehicle, and then over a railing. The woman’s car fell about 27 feet into 6 to 8 feet of water. The woman somehow managed to escape vehicle and swim to shore. According to reports, she was subsequently hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries.

The report further indicated that the driver of the tractor-trailer was licensed in Canada and was a recent immigrant from Hungary to Canada. The driver emigrated as part of Canada’s Temporary Foreign worker pilot program, and was on his first drive in the United States without being paired with a more experienced driver. The report indicated that the driver had already made a delivery in Virginia and was on his way to pick up a load in Maryland when the accident occurred.

Multiple Truck Accident Kills Bel Air Man

August 16, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A tragic accident in Abingdon left one Bel Air man dead after an early morning three-vehicle collision in Harford County.

The collision occurred at approximately 2 a.m. The preliminary report revealed that the collision occurred when a Ford pickup truck collided with the rear of a tractor trailer, which then collided into a tanker truck. The pickup truck then caught on fire before eventually stopping behind the tractor trailer.

Police reported that they believe the pickup’s speed may have played a factor in causing the crash, as both the tanker truck and tractor trailer were traveling five to ten miles per hour due to construction in the area.

Maryland Truck Driver Narrowly Escapes Injury in Guardrail Collision

August 12, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Maryland truck driver narrowly escaped serious injury when his tanker truck struck a guardrail in an attempt to exit a freeway for a detour.

According to the Sheriff’s department, the accident occurred at an exit where a detour is currently in place for the beginning of a construction zone on the interstate. The driver reportedly failed to make the turn at the end of the off ramp properly, which resulted in his truck striking the guardrail. Fortunately, the driver was not injured.

A Sheriff’s office spokesperson stated that the guardrail did its job, so to speak, by stopping the truck from going over the steep embankment.

While the tanker, which was filled with vegetable oil, was not damaged, the tractor sustained significant front end damage, which reportedly included a ruptured diesel fuel tank.

The accident remains under investigation. It remains unclear whether the driver was at fault for failing to make the turn adequately, or rather perhaps there was insufficient room for his truck to pass through the detour area properly.

Baltimore Box Truck Driver Killed in I-95 Accident

July 29, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland State Police reported that they had identified the driver of a box truck who was killed in an accident on I-95 near the Riverside exit in Harford County Monday morning as a 21 year old man from Baltimore.

State Police said that the driver was traveling southbound on I-95 in a 2006 Sterling box truck when he lost control for unknown reasons. The accident occurred at approximately 7:50 a.m. near the Route 543 interchange, Exit 80, and no other vehicles were involved.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The man’s 25 year old female passenger was reportedly flown by Police Medevac to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment of injuries from the crash. Her condition was reported as stable shortly thereafter.

The tragedy, which occurred earlier this month, was the third highway related death in Harford County since June 21. In fact, at least three major accidents occurred on Md. I-95 alone within the span of a few weeks.

Tractor-Trailer Collision Pushes Car Off of Chesapeake Bay Bridge

July 22, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.

Serious Truck Accident Temporarily Shuts Down Southbound Lanes of Interstate 81

July 10, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, at around 3:25 in the afternoon, a serious collision occurred at the 1 mile marker on Interstate 81 near the Maryland-West Virginia state line, resulting in traffic delays.

According to the Maryland State Police, a car was traveling southbound and suddenly lost control for an unknown reason, striking the center guardrail before coming back across both lanes and hitting a Mack truck.

The driver of the car was flown to the Shock Trauma Center for treatment by helicopter. The driver of the Mack Truck and his passenger were transported to a local medical center by ambulance.

The southbound lanes of Interstate 81 were shut down for a period of time in order for the helicopter to be able to land. One lane remained closed for two more hours as the investigation of the accident continued. The incident remains under investigation, and charges are reportedly pending.