Tractor Trailer Hits Overpass, Killing Two and Damaging Bridge in Cherokee County
In addition to the four serious motor vehicle accidents discussed in the last post by your South Carolina workers' compensation lawyers, yesterday's Post and Courier also reported on a fatal trucking accident that occurred in Cherokee County.
As the trucking industry continues to grow, serious trucking accidents are increasingly common. When sharing the road with these heavyweights, you are at a clear disadvantage: in trucking accidents, individuals in the passenger vehicles account for 98% of deaths. However, this incident does not side with statistics, the only lives lost in this accident were the driver and passenger in the tractor trailer.
The accident happened Sunday morning when the driver of the truck hit bridge abutment of South Carolina Highway 150 that overpasses Interstate 85.
The impact of truck hitting bridge caused the truck's driver to be ejected from the cab, as well as cause the truck to burst into flames. Sadly, it wasn't until the flames had been put out by responding emergency personnel that the second victim was found in the sleeping cab of the truck.
In an updated report of the incident, The State newspaper revealed that the 54-year-old driver of the tractor trailer had apparently fallen asleep prior to being thrown from the truck. The other driver, who died in the sleeper section of the truck cab, was also 54-years-old. Both men were from Georgia.
The extent of the damage caused by the accident was significant enough for the South Carolina Department of Transportation to close the northbound lanes of I-85 all day Monday to make repairs. The lanes were reopened this morning at 6:30 a.m., but a single lane will close this evening at 7 p.m. to install a new guard rail and make a few more minor asphalt repairs.
Your Charleston wrongful death attorneys at Howell and Christmas, LLC know it is common to grow tired when driving long distances, especially at night. But, as the above mentioned incident illustrates, this can be dangerous and seriously increases the risk of a fatal auto accident. So please pull over to take a power nap, have a bite to eat, and a good stretch if the urge to sleep and exhaustion begin to take over while on the road.
More Blog Posts: "Safest Driver on the Road," Major Multi-Vehicle Accident Involving Three Tractor Trailers, Two Single-Vehicle Wrecks Take Two Lives on South Carolina Interstate
