Georgia 18-Wheeler Accidents Kill One Person, Several Injured
Last week, on Interstate 20 in McDuffie County, Georgia, a truck driver from South Dakota was killed and several occupants of passenger vehicles, including an SUV, were injured in two separate 18-wheeler accidents.
The first accident on I-20 occurred when an 18-wheeler driver pulled his big rig over into the emergency lane to check a blowout. A passenger car following the 18-wheeler was slightly damaged by pieces of the blown out tire and pulled over behind the big rig. As the truck driver, Vincent Lee Herbert, checked his tires, another 18-wheeler struck him, fatally injuring him. The second tractor trailer also struck the smaller passenger vehicle stopped behind the truck; the driver and passengers suffered minor injuries. The driver of the second 18-wheeler, David Carl Stalnaker, was charged with second degree vehicular homicide and failure to maintain lanes; he was later released.
Following the accident, another big rig crashed into a Ford Explorer just a few hours later on the same highway. The driver of the Ford Explorer, an Augusta resident, was seriously injured. The tractor trailer also slammed into two other vehicles, leaving two people with injuries. The driver of that tractor trailer, Sean Cornelius Johnson, was charged with following too closely.
In both accidents, 18-wheeler drivers' reckless driving contributed to serious accidents and injury, and in one case, death. The first accident could have been avoided if Stalnaker had taken care to drive steadily, stayed within speed limits, and stuck to his own lane. His failure to do so ended with a fellow truck driver dead. The second accident occurred because Johnson was following the SUV too closely. Tailgating is incredibly foolish behavior for an 18-wheeler driver. These large vehicles take a much longer time to come to a complete stop than passenger vehicles do. Drivers must always keep a reasonable amount of distance between the 18-wheeler and the vehicle in front of them; failure to do so could result in an accident in which the occupants of the smaller vehicle almost always suffer.
Truck Accident Claims
A truck accident lawyer can help you recover compensation after injuries suffered in an 18-wheeler accident. If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in an 18-wheeler accident, the 18-wheeler accident lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP can help you recover compensation.
Contact an experienced 18-wheeler accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your claim.
The 18-wheeler was carrying 41,000 pounds of cotton and yarn. The truck collided with a set of barrels, leading to a shift in the weight of the trailer. The driver, Edward James Clements Jr., lost control of the tractor trailer and skidded more than 300 feet before flipping over. The 18-wheeler then continued to skid another 100 feet after overturning before it came to a stop. Clements was taken to the hospital after complaining of back pain.