Articles Posted in Auto & 18-Wheeler Wrecks

Mississippi roadways have had more than their fair share of accidents involving tractor-trailers in recent weeks. One of the recent accidents was especially dramatic, demonstrating just how much destructive power semi-trucks possess. The size, weight and speed of the giant machines means that when things go wrong, they often go very wrong, and those unfortunate enough to be on the other side suffer the consequences.

One chain reaction crash involving tractor-trailers occurred mid-December in Itawamba County, Mississippi. In that crash, a series of 18-wheelers collided on a stretch of I-22 near Fawn Grove. According to police, the crash began in the early evening when a tractor-trailer heading west crossed the median. The truck was carrying a full load of bricks, meaning it would’ve been incredibly heavy at the time. This was proven true by the damage done to the guardrail system, which was no match for the fast-moving truck. Authorities say the first 18-wheeler barreled through the cable guardrail and entered the eastbound lanes, dragging the metal cables along with it.

After venturing into the eastbound lanes, the truck then kept going and crashed into the woods before coming to a stop. The problem, of course, was that the metal guardrail cables remained in the highway. Shortly thereafter, a second 18-wheeler, heading east and hauling a gooseneck trailer, passed by. The second semi got caught in the cables and sent it crashing back through the median.

It’s a tragedy that is becoming more and more common. Drivers heading the wrong way, often on the interstate, crash into unsuspecting motorists. These accidents are often deadly and entirely preventable, something that can make it even harder to accept when a loved one is involved. The force of the collision when two vehicles heading the opposite direction come into contact with one another almost always results in catastrophic injuries. Such a crash just occurred in Mississippi, only a few days before Christmas. To learn more about the incident, keep reading.

The accident occurred in Madison, Mississippi and involved the driver of a 2016 Nissan Maxima who was hit and killed by the driver of a 2013 Passat. Police say the driver of the Passat was heading the wrong way down I-55 the night of December 22nd. Police got a call from a concerned driver saying that a vehicle was heading south in north bound lanes around 10 p.m. that evening. A second call came in a few minutes later; sadly it was to report a multiple car accident just inside the Madison city limits.

Police responded to the accident scene and were able to get additional information about what had occurred from witnesses to the crash. Several people reported that the Passat had been traveling southbound for several miles. Vehicles heading north (meaning they were going in the right direction) had been taking evasive action to avoid the oncoming car. Sadly, as the Passat got closer to Madison, it collided directly with the Nissan, which was unable to swerve in time.

One person died and several others suffered serious injuries after a chain reaction crash in Mississippi involving three tractor-trailers. The accident demonstrates not only the potential for serious harm posed by semi trucks, but also the danger that exists when one wreck occurs, increasingly the likelihood that other vehicles are drawn into the collision.

According to officials from Mississippi Highway Patrol, the accident happened in the eastbound lanes of I-20 and resulted in the death of Billy Robinson, a 48-year-old UPS driver from Alabama. The man was a 29-year employee of UPS and thus had nearly three decades of experiencing operating large tractor-trailers under his belt.

All his years of experience were sadly not enough to avoid the terrible accident that occurred early that morning, a little after 4, in Newton County, MS. Law enforcement authorities say the crash involved three 18-wheelers and happened near the 99 mile marker. All three of the semis were heading east when one of the trucks crashed into another from behind. That accident then caused a chain reaction and the UPS truck driven by Robinson ran into the back of the second truck. Police say there was likely not enough time to react quickly and avoid the first collision. The cause of that first accident remains unknown, though police investigators are working on the case.

Two recent crashes in Mississippi reveal just how dangerous accidents involving passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers can be. Though most people understand that passenger cars and semi-trucks aren’t evenly matched, people often forget how catastrophic the results are when the two collide. Sadly, the harm is almost always suffered by those in the passenger vehicles whose cars were no match for giant commercial trucks weighing 10 or 20 times more.

he first accident occurred in Warren County, MS where authorities say a wreck occurred at 2 in the morning on I-20 eastbound. Officials with the Mississippi Highway Patrol say that two vehicles, a GMC Yukon and a Ford Explorer, were parked on the shoulder of the road when an 18-wheeler drifted out of its lane and crashed into the Explorer.

A 26-year-old woman was killed and another young woman was seriously injured and taken to University Medical Center for treatment. Police say they are continuing to investigate exactly what led to the accident, but preliminary reports indicate that the driver of the 18-wheeler says he was forced off the road by yet another 18-wheeler.

Safety experts, legislators, law enforcement authorities, parents and even private companies have all gone out of their way to warn teens about the dangers associated with distracted driving. Though cellphones pose dangers to drivers of all ages, studies indicate that younger drivers are more likely than others to use their phones while operating a motor vehicle and are more likely to become involved in an accident as a result. The combination of a distracting activity and inexperience behind the wheel can lead to sometimes deadly results.

The latest example of the harm that can come when teens are distracted behind the wheel occurred in Georgia, where an 18-year-old is now being sued for causing an accident that left the driver of the other car seriously injured. Though accidents caused by teen drivers are hardly news, personal injury suits that target multibillion dollar technology companies are. In this case, the teen and Snapchat are both being sued by the victim of the accident who is seeking compensation for the harm he suffered as a result of what he says was a Snapchat-related crash.

The accident occurred last year when Christal McGee and three of her friends were driving around town in a Mercedes-Benz a little before 10 p.m. Exactly what happened next depends on who you believe. Christal claims that an oncoming driver, Wentworth Maynard, drifted into her line, causing her to run off the road and lose control of her vehicle. Wentworth says that it was Christal who caused the accident, claiming that the teen was using Snapchat at the time and speeding recklessly as a result.

In a tragic case out of Florida a woman won a $10 million wrongful-death judgment against the Domino’s delivery driver who caused an accident that led to the death of her husband. Domino’s has said it intends to appeal, arguing that the driver is an employee of an independent franchisee and that Domino’s should thus avoid legal liability for his actions.

The crash occurred back in 2011 when the Domino’s driver pulled out into Richard and Yvonne Wiederhold’s lane of traffic. Richard, a fire chief, swerved to avoid colliding with the delivery vehicle, which caused his car to flip and crash into a tree. Yvonne was in the car too and suffered serious cuts to her legs, but Richard was left paralyzed from the chest down. Yvonne then spent the next 15 months caring for her husband, feeding him through a tube and bathing him. Unfortunately, Richard developed a blood clot and died shortly thereafter, a complication associated with his paralysis.

Initially, Richard and Yvonne had filed a personal injury lawsuit against Domino’s, asking for the company to pay their medical bills. Domino’s agreed, but after Richard died and the case turned into a wrongful-death action, the company refused to consider paying out any more money. Domino’s argued that because the delivery driver was an employee of an independent franchisee, and not a Domino’s employee, that the company should be shielded from liability.

Authorities with the Mississippi Highway Patrol say that they now understand more about a deadly accident that occurred earlier this month. Accident reconstructionists with the MHP have revealed that the crash on April 3rd involving a fire truck occurred because the fire truck did not yield the right of way.

The accident took place on Mississippi 43 and Carter Store Road. Police say the crash occurred when a Lake Harbor fire truck crashed into a Ford Escape carrying five members of the same family. The accident left a 10-year-old boy dead and resulted in serious injuries to the other four members of the family. The father was listed in stable condition while the mother and two other children, one four-year-old and a four-month-old, were all in critical condition.

Experts believe that the fire truck was heading east and was attempting to cross over the southbound lanes when it slammed into the Ford Escape. This failure to yield, especially at such a high rate of speed, is incredibly dangerous, creating the possibility of a deadly outcome just like this. Authorities say that the two firefighters inside the truck told investigators that they had been out doing training that day. Neither of the firefighters was injured in the crash and police say they will continue to investigate the case.

It’s a terrifying thing to realize that a normal day can turn dangerous in the blink of an eye, but that’s exactly what happened earlier this month to one unsuspecting school bus driver in Hinds County, MS. In a truly scary illustration of how risky speeding can be, authorities say a fast-moving white sedan crashed into a school bus head-on, resulting in injuries to three people.

According to school officials, the accident happened a little before 8:30 a.m. just outside Central Hinds Academy. Thankfully, no students were on the bus at the time, just the driver and a bus monitor. As the school bus was preparing to go around a corner she noticed an oncoming vehicle in her lane. The car, a white sedan, was traveling at a very high rate of speed and nothing could be done to avoid the crash. Instead, the bus driver had to simply brace of impact.

One witness reported seeing the driver of the white car pass by moments before the crash, estimating that the vehicle was traveling more than 90 miles per hour at the time. Given the speed and the curvy road, an accident was all but inevitable.