Driver fatigue possibly led to Illinois truck accident
On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, February 12, 2014.
Because driving while tired can be considered as dangerous as driving under the influence, it is important that truck drivers abide by the laws set for them and the number of hours they are required to rest and drive. If a trucker does not follow these rules and attempts to drive over the allowed number of hours, a truck accident could occur. Such an accident could lead to catastrophic results.
An Illinois truck driver has recently been called a threat to public safety after he falsified his log books and drove on only a few hours of sleep. His possible fatigue and breaking of trucking laws resulted in crashing his truck into the truck of a tollway worker and a stopped police officer. The driver of the second truck and the officer had reportedly stopped to assist another driver when the accident took place.
The tollway worker suffered fatal injuries as a result of the accident. The officer was also seriously injured and was considered to be in critical condition. The truck driver is currently facing felony charges for working over the legal number of hours, falsifying his driving logs and other allegations.
A truck accident is a very serious matter, and when the accident occurs due to a driver not following regulations, the situation is all the more tragic as it could potentially have been avoided. The family of the tollway worker who was killed is undoubtedly grief-stricken by the event, and the officer possibly feels lucky to be alive. However, both the family of the victim and the officer himself could face serious setbacks due to the event. They may wish to look into their legal options for filing claims against the party or parties deemed responsible in order to possibly seek compensation for damages resulting from the Illinois accident.
Source: NBC Chicago, I-88 Fatal Crash Trucker Named “Hazard to Public Safety”, Phil Rogers, Feb. 11, 2014
