An Ole Miss football player died early this month in a terrible accident involving a tractor-trailer. According to police officers, Park Stevens was killed in an accident last Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities say that Stevens was killed when his truck collided with the back of a semi that was crossing a four-lane highway in Chickasaw County, MS. Police officers say that while the investigation is ongoing, it is clear that the driver of the pickup truck was killed immediately upon impact. What little information is known is that Stevens came into contact with the back end of the 18-wheeler at Egypt Road and U.S. Highway 45A a little after three in the afternoon. Mississippi Highway Patrol says they are continuing to investigate the crash and are trying to determine whether the tractor-trailer driver may have been at fault.
The coach, Hugh Freeze, says the team is suffering after the loss of the player. Teammates and coaches alike say he was an integral part of the team and that he touched the lives of all those around him.
This recent accident serves as a reminder of just how damaging accidents involving tractor-trailers can be. Problems frequently arise when tractor-trailers, substantially heavier and larger than passenger vehicles, are forced to share the road with other drivers.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in a trucking accident, passenger vehicle occupants are 12 times more likely to die than the driver of the big rig involved in the accident. This is largely due to the disparity in weight and size between trucks and motor vehicles. Though some important actions can be taken to reduce your risk of being involved in such an accident, there’s little that can be done to prevent careless actions on the part of truckers.
One of the things that Mississippi drivers can do to avoid being involved in a deadly trucking accident is to always be alert when around tractor-trailers. Given their size, trucks often have very large blind spots and though you can see them, it does not mean that the trucker can see your car. Never linger beside or immediately behind a truck as this increases the chance that the trucker will move over on you without knowing you are there. Given their weight, it can take longer for a truck to come to a full stop so be sure to avoid cutting off an 18-wheeler. Also, remember that semi’s take wide turns and to give them extra space when turning.
If you have been injured in a Mississippi car, motorcycle or tractor-trailer accident and think you may have a personal injury claim, please contact the Mississippi personal injury attorneys atKilpatrick & Philley at 601-707-4669.
Source: “Ole Miss football player killed in car accident,” by Monica Land, published at TheMississippiLink.com.
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