Virginia trucker dies when his tractor-trailer hits a bridge

A tractor-trailer driver from Virginia was killed last week when he was thrown from his truck in a crash on a North Carolina highway. The driver, a 25-year UPS veteran, was on his way from Richmond, Virginia, on a routine trip when the accident occurred. The man’s truck went off the left side of the highway and struck a bridge. The cause of the accident is still not known.

Unfortunately, the 58-year-old driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Witnesses told investigators that the trucking accident happened when the driver was attempting to pass a vehicle in the left lane of southbound Interstate 85 and the truck, which was pulling two trailers, suddenly hit the guard rail.

A spokesman for UPS said that he didn’t know if the crash was due to a mechanical failure or to driver error. He also said that he had heard reports that one of the cab’s tires had a blowout, forcing the tractor-trailer into the bridge, but he was unable to verify that information. No one else was injured in the wreck, but the highway was closed for several hours while crews attended to the scene. The trailers appeared to be loaded mostly with cigarettes, the spokesman said.

In the aftermath of a tragic crash such as this, surviving family members will have many questions about what happened. An attorney experienced in wrongful death claims may be able to uncover the cause of such a crash, relating to mechanical failure or something else, and help the survivors seek compensation for their losses.

Source: Salisbury Post, “Driver dies in I-85 tractor-trailer wreck,” Nathan Hardin, Jan. 18, 2012