Accident on Twin Cities Road Off-Ramp Slows Traffic for Hours
A big rig crash on a Galt off-ramp involving a head-on collision caused minor injuries and tied up traffic on April 12. The collision occurred around 7:52 a.m. along the westbound Twin Cities Road off-ramp at southbound SR 99 south of Elk Grove. The report issued by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated that the crash involved a head-on collision between a tractor-trailer and a Ford pickup. The pickup struck a pole and ended up in a ditch.
Big Rig Crash Involves Extrication and Fuel Spill
The two-vehicle crash blocked the westbound lanes, which necessitated one-way traffic control for some hours until the accident site was cleared sometime after 10:30 a.m. In addition, some of the parties involved in the crash ended up trapped in their vehicle, which required extrication by fire department responders. A small diesel leak required cleanup, which further slowed the opening of the westbound lanes of the highway.
Accident Being Investigated to Determine Fault
The CHP is conducting an investigation to determine how the collision happened. Information was not released on whether those who were injured received treatment at the accident scene or were transported to a hospital for additional care.
Causes of a Big Rig Crash
When trucks are involved in accidents, negligence is a leading cause. Here are some common trucking company and driver errors that lead to accidents:
- Driver shortage: The shortage of qualified truck drivers has led many companies to take shortcuts by hiring untrained truckers. However, trucks behave differently than cars. Truck drivers, for instance, should know about no-zones and how to brake. It is easy for an inexperienced driver to cause a big rig crash.
- Improper cargo loading: Poorly loaded trucks can cause jackknife accidents and rollovers since cargo can shift. Likewise, in windy conditions, an overloaded truck may have trouble navigating curves or may overturn.
- Regulations: Truck safety on the road is enhanced by a number of state and federal regulations. Still, trucking companies do not always abide by these rules. Regulations regarding how long truckers can work are frequently broken. An electronic log keeps track of these missteps. Seeing if this rule was broken can be done by your truck accident lawyer.
- Driver fatigue: Some truck companies insist that their drivers work non-stop with little rest to get their deliveries to market quickly. A fatigued driver is just as dangerous as one who is inebriated. Once again, a truck accident lawyer can check the trucker’s log to see if they took the breaks mandated by the federal government.
- Neglected maintenance: Trucks must be inspected each time before they go on the road and during the trip. If some problem is found during the inspection, the company or independent operator is obligated to fix it. The trucker or the trucking company can be held liable if repairs or maintenance are not performed, resulting in an accident.
- Distracted driving: Truck drivers are not exempt from distracted driving. Many traffic accidents, including a big rig crash, are caused by taking your focus off the road.
- Speed: Some truckers choose to speed in order to arrive at their destination quickly. Truckers who speed are more likely to have an accident, especially if they pass unsafely, resulting in a head-on collision. Override accidents, which occur when trucks crash into the vehicle in front of them, can be fatal for the passengers.
Galt Truck Accident Lawyer
I am Ed Smith, a Galt truck accident lawyer. When you’ve suffered injuries that were due to a negligent driver or other entity, you have the right to file a claim to recover compensation. Contact us at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly information from one of our injury lawyers. You also have the option to contact us online.
Our injury lawyers have helped many people in obtaining fair compensation for their injuries over the years, and you can see comments and some of our cases below:
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Photo attribution: Image by falco from Pixabay
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