Accident Near San Mateo-Hayward Bridge Claims Lives of Two Women
A big rig crash in Foster City on Highway 92 westbound near the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge claimed the lives of two women on August 5. The collision occurred around 9:45 a.m., according to a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The incident report stated that there were three women going west in a Ford Fusion, and they had just exited the bridge when the vehicle passed across the highway lanes and hit a parked big rig on the shoulder of the road. The Ford then went into a ditch.
One Passenger in Vehicle Transported to a Hospital
The driver and one of the passengers in the passenger vehicle died. The third woman was transported to the hospital. However, no information on her condition was available, according to CHP Officer Art Montiel. The highway lanes were clear of emergency response and traffic investigators later that morning. The fatal accident will be under investigation to determine its cause.
Roadside Parking and a Big Rig Rules
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration governs motor carriers and other commercial drivers. Because shoulders on public roads are only meant for emergency use, big rigs are not allowed to park there. When a big rig parks on one, they have to abide by Federal regulation 49 CFR 392.22, which allows a tractor-trailer to park on the side of a public road only if the following conditions are met:
- The hazard flashers on the truck must be turned on until a warning device is placed, which can’t be more than 10 minutes later.
- Warning devices should be chosen from the following: three reflective triangles that are bi-directional, red flags, liquid-burning flares and fuses.
- The warning devices must be placed four paces from the vehicle on the traffic side facing oncoming traffic. It must be forty paces away from the truck in the shoulder’s center and facing traffic, and 40 steps away from oncoming vehicles.
- If the vehicle is leaking gas or other combustibles, warning devices cannot be used unless they are placed far away enough not to cause an explosion or fire.
- If the shoulder the big rig stopped on is 500 feet from a curve, obstruction or hill, a warning device has to be placed in its direction.
Compensation After a Big Rig Accident
Truck drivers who do not abide by the above rules may be at least partially liable in an accident that results in serious injuries or fatalities. An accident attorney can conduct an investigation into the collision to determine how it occurred and the fault. If the trucker is found to be liable, the driver and/or company that employs that person may be held responsible financially.
California Big Rig Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a big rig accident attorney in California. There are strict rules that truckers have to obey to help avoid accidents. If they do not, they may be at least partially liable for accident injuries that occur. Reach out to us at (800) 404-5400 or (916) 921-6400 for free and friendly advice if you were injured in a crash involving a tractor-trailer. We may be able to advise you about recovering compensation. We can also be contacted online.
You can discover how others have been helped to recover the compensation they deserve following an accident at the links that follow below:
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Photo attribution: Image by Ronald Plett from Pixabay
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