Posted in Car Accident,Personal Injury,Tennessee Accident Law,Truck Wreck on December 6, 2015
Pedestrian Killed after Being Struck by Dump Truck in Goodlettsville
A 53-year-old woman suffered fatal injuries after she was struck by a dump truck in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, on Thursday evening.
According to a report by wkrn.com, the accident occurred just before 5 p.m. in the 1300 block of Dickerson Pike in Davidson County. Metro Police officers who responded to the scene of the accident say that the woman was walking in the northbound lanes of Dickerson Pike when she was struck by the vehicle—a 2005 Ford dump truck.
Emergency responders arrived at the accident scene shortly after the woman was hit, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Metro police say that a friend of the woman who was killed told them that the woman had consumed alcohol prior to the accident, but a toxicology test will first be administered before that is determined to be a contributing factor.
The driver of the dump truck is not facing any charges at this time, and the accident is still under investigation.
How Can You Stay Safe around Industrial and Commercial Vehicles?
Every time you drive in Middle Tennessee, there’s a good chance you will encounter an industrial or commercial vehicle. Whether it’s a dump truck, garbage truck, tractor-trailer, delivery truck, or any other large vehicle used by government or a private business, industrial and commercial vehicles play vital roles in the economy, but their large size and extreme weight mean that they pose unique risks to drivers like you.
To stay safe around these oversized vehicles, do your best to follow these tips:
Oversized vehicles, including most industrial and commercial vehicles, weigh much more than standard passenger vehicles. That means they are much more difficult to slow down or stop. In fact, their braking distance may be more than one hundred feet longer than the parking distance of an average sedan. Because of that, you should never switch lanes in front of an oversized vehicle in tight traffic or when you will have to make frequent stops, including areas of the roadway near intersections and stop signs.
Sharing the road with oversized commercial and industrial vehicles requires all of your safe driving skills, but you should also be aware that the risks can be magnified when driving near areas where these vehicles frequently enter and exit the premises. Drivers of dump trucks and garbage trucks may have difficulty seeing oncoming traffic when turning onto a roadway, and that’s why it’s best to yield the right of way if you are unsure whether the driver can see your vehicle.
The drivers of large vehicles have big blind spots where they may be partially or completely unable to see vehicles driving near them. Those spots include the areas just in front of the cab, front left, front right, and just behind the back bumper. When the driver of an oversized vehicle makes a sudden movement and a driver is in his no-zone, a serious accident may occur due to the driver clipping the other vehicle or even running it off the road.
In addition to the three tips above, drivers should also commit to following the standard rules of safe driving: don’t speed, avoid distractions, never drink and drive, and drive defensively at all times by staying aware of the movements of other vehicles.
At Matt Hardin Law, our Goodlettsville auto accident attorneys knows that commercial and industrial vehicles can cause major damage to other vehicles and serious injuries to their drivers and passengers during accidents. If you or someone you love was injured in an accident due to the negligence of someone driving an oversized vehicle, you may be eligible to receive compensation. To find out how our law firm can help, just dial (615) 200-1111 or complete a free online form.
