Heavy downpour provides grim backdrop to truck accident

In Virginia, all four seasons normally provide a welcome sense of variety to state residents. However, rapidly-changing atmospheric conditions can unfortunately wreak havoc on roadways, leading to both car and truck accidents on a regular basis. On Interstate 77 recently, heavy rains that usually signal spring’s evolution into summer also signaled a deadly truck crash that claimed the life of a man from South Carolina.

The tragedy occurred on the morning of June 7, as a seasonal tropical storm was moving along the East Coast. Just before 1 a.m. near Hillsville, the 57-year-old victim and his wife were driving north on I-77 when they passed a semi truck. Their Mitsubishi Galant began to hydroplane, and the car eventually went off a bridge over Route 702, Stable Road. Their car eventually veered off to the right side of the road, hit a guardrail, and then wound up facing the wrong way in the road.

Both the victim and his wife, who had been driving, quickly exited their car and headed for safety. The man, however, went back to his car to grab his cell phone. At that moment, a tractor trailer accident occurred when a 2007 International truck struck the Mitsubishi and pushed it about 100 years down the road. The effects multiplied when yet another semi truck, a 2001 Peterbilt, hit the car as well.

Unfortunately, the man did not survive the multiple crashes and his wife as left with minor injuries from the original crash. While no charges have yet been filed, any ensuing investigation will likely have its work cut out for it. In crashes where there are multiple vehicles and multiple collisions, it can be difficult to determine exactly who is at fault. Victims or their families may get too overwhelmed or simply tired of waiting for definitive answers; as a result, they may give up on holding any proper parties accountable. In these extremely draining situations, it is helpful to have an attorney experienced in truck accidents to maintain a focus on accountability and responsibility.

Source: Carroll News, “S.C. man killed Friday in I-77 accident,” June 7, 2013