Posted in Car Accident,Personal Injury,Tennessee Accident Law,Truck Wreck on April 14, 2015
1 Killed After Hazmat Truck Collides with Car on State Route 840
One person was killed after a commercial truck carrying hazardous chemicals collided with a passenger vehicle in the eastbound lanes of State Route 840 in Rutherford County, Tennessee, Tuesday morning.
According to a report by wsmv.com, the accident occurred just after 9 a.m. near Exit 65 and the Wilson County line when the truck—which was heading westbound—crossed the median and into the eastbound lanes where it struck a car and killed the driver.
A spokesperson for the Tennessee Highway Patrol stated that the hazardous chemicals remained inside the truck after the accident and did not leak onto the roadway or surrounding areas.
Police are still investigating the accident and the name of the victim hasn’t been released. Emergency crews were expected to have the scene cleaned up and traffic flowing again in both directions by 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.
The Murfreesboro truck accident lawyers at Matt Hardin Law express our condolences to the friends and family of the man who was killed in this tragic accident in Rutherford County.
What Causes Vehicles to Cross the Median on Interstates and Highways?
Medians are wide strips of grass or asphalt designed to provide a safe barrier between vehicles traveling in opposite directions, but sometimes vehicles cross medians and cause serious head-on collisions. There are several reasons that cars and trucks cross medians and collide with other vehicles, including:
Drivers who get behind the wheel while sleep-deprived or under the influence of medication that causes drowsiness are at risk of falling asleep or falling victim to highway hypnosis. Falling asleep behind the wheel for even a brief moment is often all it takes for a vehicle to veer to the left, cross the median or center line, and collide with another vehicle head-on.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can have a similar effect to driving while drowsy, as it can cause drivers to lose their focus and concentration on the road, blur their vision, and even cause them to briefly fall asleep. In addition, intoxicated drivers are more likely to experience impaired judgment and decreased inhibitions, which can result in risky behaviors like trying to pass other vehicles around blind turns.
Occasionally road work and construction forces drivers to take alternate routes through sections of highways and interstates. While these sections are usually clearly marked with cones, barrels, and signs, they can sometimes be difficult to see or navigate—especially at night or during inclement weather. Because these sections of construction are often directly adjacent to opposite lanes of traffic, it’s not uncommon for drivers to inadvertently miss a turn inside the reroute lane and end up crossing the median into oncoming traffic.
No matter how drivers of cars or trucks end up cross the median or facing oncoming traffic, the results are often life-changing and life-threatening. At Matt Hardin Law, we know that victims of head-on collisions often face long roads to recovery and may never be able to perform the work they did before, while the families of victims who were killed in these types of accidents can suffer significantly.
That’s why it’s our goal to help victims of car and truck accidents get the compensation they deserve to pay for their accident-related expenses and move forward with their lives as much as possible.
Get in touch with our Murfreesboro truck accident lawyers today by dialing (615) 600-4941 or filling out a free online form. Our legal team is here to begin building your case right away and working toward getting you the maximum damages for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced as a result of the accident.
