Truck Driver Killed in Accident
A truck driver from Jacksonville was tragically killed in a multi-car chain collision on Florida Highway 121 in Lake Butler. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 37-year-old driver’s name will not been released until the next of kin notification is complete. The accident happened around noon in the southbound lanes of Florida 121.
The man was driving a Freightliner semi-truck and did not see that traffic was stopped ahead of him on the highway. His eighteen-wheeler hit the back of a Mack truck that was driven by Charlie Clemons, 70, from Lake Butler. The Mack truck then slid into the back of a Ford Ranger truck, which then hit the back of a Nissan Sentra sedan. The Sentra then hit the back of a Dodge Grand Caravan before all of the vehicles came to a stop.
The Jacksonville truck driver was declared dead at the scene by the Union County Fire Department. Mr. Clemons, the driver of the Mack truck, was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and sustained serious injuries. He was taken to the University of Florida Health at Shands. The drivers and passengers of the other vehicles either sustained minor injuries or were unharmed.
Florida Trucking Accidents
Research shows that every 16 minutes someone across the country dies in a tractor trailer accident, and in 2012 there were 3,921 people killed as a result of trucking accidents. Another 104,000 people were injured in accidents involving large trucks of the 333,000 total accidents. The number of total trucking accidents has been increasing in Florida and across the country over the last few years as the number of commercial trucks on the road also grows.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in Florida for 2012, a total of 3,428 accidents were reported across the state and 194 involved large trucks or other commercial vehicles. It accounted for 5.7% of all accidents and yet is disproportionately responsible for the number of serious injuries or fatalities reported as a result of traffic accidents. This happens because of the disproportionate size, weight, and force of a commercial truck compared to the other vehicles on the road.
Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
The most common cause of trucking accidents on the road today is driver fatigue due to the long hours and distances that truck drivers must travel. In addition, some of the other common causes of trucking accidents include the following:
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Faulty equipment
- Overloaded trucks
- Failure to obey traffic signals
- Failure to see other vehicles on the road
…and other negligent driving habits that lead to trucking accidents on the Florida roads.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Now
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a trucking accident in the Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Tampa, Orlando, or West Palm Beach, don’t hesitate to reach out to the lawyers at The Pendas Law Firm. We are prepared to advocate aggressively on your behalf and work to ensure you recover the compensation you deserve.
