TRUCK ACCIDENT FAST FACT: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs) are likely to be involved in a fatal truck accident at rates at least 11% higher than single tractor trailers.

The bridge was built in 1962. It is troubling that even recent bridge inspectors gave the State of Indiana “incorrect advice” according to the FHWA. Hopefully, other states will learn from this and pay extra attention to 1960-era bridges made with steel more susceptible to cracking and that were welded using old techniques.

Eighty thousand vehicles used the bridge each day, nearly then thousand of them are trucks. It has been announced that the bridge will not need to be replaced; repairs are ongoing, as is well-known by people in New Albany and others who use I-64 across the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky. The Indiana Department of Transportation reports that it plans for the repairs to be complete in 135 days. http://1.usa.gov/zH9LC

Michael Leizerman is a truck accident attorney who blogs about events relevant to highway safety.

The Toledo Blade reports a tractor trailer accident that occurred on Thursday, January 12 at 2:27pm in the city of Oregon, Ohio. According to an Oregon Police Department lieutenant, a 16 year-old male teen was killed when a semi truck driver performed a left turn and struck the teen’s pickup. The accident occurred at the intersection of Navarre Avenue and South Wynn Road. The pickup became lodged beneath the tractor trailer and the teen died at the scene of the collision. Police said the 78 year-old male driver of the semi will be charged with vehicular homicide and will receive a citation for failure to yield while turning left.

CBSNews.com reports a gravel truck accident that occurred on Thursday afternoon, January 12 in Buellton, California. According to the Santa Barbara News Press, the truck was traveling on Highway 101 North when it struck a BMW from behind, leaving the car precariously positioned on a bridge rail adjacent to a steep drop. The 36 year-old female driver of the car and her 2 children were removed from the vehicle by emergency responders and transported to a hospital. The gravel truck went over the rail, fell into a creek and caught fire. The driver of the truck was killed.

The Star Press reports a semi truck accident that occurred on Tuesday, January 10 around 12:45pm in Winchester, Indiana. According to police, a semi truck driver transporting grain had taken marijuana,  meth and amphetamines prior to running a red light and hitting a pickup truck. The accident took place at the intersection of Greenville Pike and U.S. 27, injuring an 82 year-old man. The elderly driver of the pickup was transported to St. Vincent Randolph Hospital via ambulance and was transferred via helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital of Dayton, Ohio. Police said he was listed in stable condition. The 52 year-old driver of the truck was charged with a Class D felony for driving while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury. Witnesses say the semi truck driver attempted to dispose of his drugs and paraphernalia in a field adjacent to the scene of the accident. Police later recovered those items.

NBC4i.com reports a dump truck accident that injured 1 person on Wednesday, January 11 around 11:40am in Columbus, Ohio. Emergency responders and police discovered a collision between a car and a dump truck near 1000 Cleveland Avenue and East 5^th Avenue. A photo of the accident shows what appears to be a head-on crash with the dump truck facing the opposite side of traffic. The driver of the car suffered injuries and was transported to a hospital. Two utility poles also suffered damages in the accident. Officials shut down Cleveland Avenue between East 4^th and 5^th Avenue to investigate.

The Newark Advocate reports a semi truck accident that occurred on Friday, December 23 around 10:47pm in Kirkersville, Ohio. According to members of the Ohio Highway Patrol, traffic on Interstate 70 slowed due to an earlier accident. An approaching semi truck driver then struck a Ford Escape in the rear after failing to brake in time. The semi truck initiated a chain reaction accident involving a Ford Escape, Mercury Sable, Pontiac G6, Jeep Cherokee, and a Chevrolet van. A 25 year-old woman was taken to Mount Carmel East hospital for treatment. Another woman of unknown age was taken to Licking Memorial Hospital for treatment. A spokesman for the Highway Patrol said the semi truck driver would receive a citation for his involvement in the crash.

AnnArbor.com reports a fatality involving a semi truck on Friday, December 23 at 2:45am in Ann Arbor Township, Michigan. According to representatives from the fire department, a semi truck struck a car in the side on US 23, killing a 22 year-old man at the scene of the crash. The accident took place in the northbound lanes of US 23 near the M-14 intersection. The incident shut down the north side of the highway for several hours.

The Sun Times reports a semi truck accident that occurred on Sunday, December 25 around 2:15pm near La Porte, Indiana. A semi truck transporting 19 Mercedes vehicles sideswiped a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria driven by a police trooper. The policewoman had parked in the shoulder of a highway with her emergency lights on to assist a motorist when the accident took place. The driver-side door of the Ford sustained major damage and the policewoman was taken to La Port Hospital for treatment. The 40 year-old driver of the semi truck received a citation for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.

MyFox8.com reports a tractor-trailer accident that injured 15 people on Wednesday, December 21 near the Transylvania County city of Lake Toxaway, North Carolina. According to representatives of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, a tractor-trailer driver entered the right shoulder of US 64, overcorrected to re-enter the roadway and jackknifed. The vehicle then struck a van carrying several members of a church. The truck driver received a citation for driving left of center. Four of the injured were listed in critical condition at Mission hospital in Asheville.

FoxToledo.com reports a bus accident that injured one on Monday, November 21 around 7:00am in Springfield Township, Ohio. Representatives of the Ohio Highway Patrol stated that a mini van was struck from behind by a Springfield school bus on Airport Highway, close to Interstate 475. One teenaged occupant of the mini van was injured and transported to ProMedica St. Luke’s Hospital.

The Banner Graphic reports an accident involving a wide-load semi truck on Wednesday, November 16 around 1:40pm in Bainbridge, Indiana. The wide-load truck proceeded on U.S. 36 West, taking up most of the two-lane highway when a yielding GMC truck was struck from behind by a Kenworth semi truck. Following the initial accident, a Chevy pickup truck struck the Kenworth truck. The driver of the GMC truck and a passenger were taken to Hendricks County Hospital after suffering pains following the accident.

The Morning Call reports a tractor-trailer accident that killed one on Friday, November 18 around 3:30am in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania. According to state police, a Geo Prizm came to a stop in the right lane of Interstate 380 due to traffic from an earlier accident. A tractor-trailer behind the Prizm failed to slow and rear-ended the vehicle between I-80 and Route 940. A 61 year-old male driver of the Prizm was declared dead at the scene of the accident. A passenger inside the car was airlifted to Community Medical Center.

The Pocono Record reports a tractor-trailer accident that killed one on Monday, November 21 at 6:17am in Pocono, Pennsylvania. A Freightliner semi truck on Route 33 North crossed over the median into the southbound lanes, striking a Kia Sorento. The Kia driver, a 53 year-old male nurse en route to his job at St. Luke’s Hospital, was killed. A Subaru Outback and a Volkwagon Jetta also became entangled in the accident. The tractor trailer came to a rest on its passenger side, blocking lanes and backing up traffic for hours.

The Ohio News Network reports a dump truck accident that occurred on Wednesday evening, November 2 in Fort Wright, Kentucky, near the Ohio River. A 61 year-old man from Batavia, Ohio was killed when a dump truck struck his vehicle on an overpass. The man’s car was hit with such force that it went over a concrete barrier and plummeted approximately 50 feet off the bridge. The car landed upside down on its roof. The driver of the dump truck was trying to avoid a construction area on Interstate 275 when the accident took place.

WISHtv.com reports a box truck accident that occurred on Friday, November 4 around 7:45pm in Indianapolis, Indiana. Representatives of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police say that a 65 year-old man was struck and killed by a box truck as he exited a bus at the corner of 50^th Street and Michigan Road. The driver of the box truck received a blood test for drugs and alcohol. Police report that there were two other individuals inside the box truck when the accident took place.

The Watauga Democrat reports a tractor-trailer accident that occurred on Thursday, November 3 at 10:00am in Vilas, North Carolina. According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the accident happened on U.S. 421 as six vehicles stopped near the B & B Mini Mart for a vehicle making a left-hand turn. A Reinhart Food Service tractor-trailer struck the last vehicle, a Dodge Ram pickup truck, causing a chain-reaction accident. A driver and passenger inside the Dodge were airlifted to Tennessee’s Johnson City Medical Center. Four other people were hurt and taken to a local hospital for treatment. Two pet dogs inside one of the vehicles were taken to a veterinarian for injuries. The 37 year-old male driver of the semi truck received a citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

The Loganville-Grayson Patch reports a tractor-trailer accident that occurred midday on Friday, November 4 in Loganville, Georgia. A spokesperson for the Georgia State Patrol said the truck and a SUV collided on Highway 78 near a convenience store. According to witnesses, the truck struck the SUV in the left rear as the SUV proceeded at a green light. One adult and three minors were injured. An 11-year old girl was transported by air to Egleston Children’s Hospital.

NorthwestOhio.com reports a tractor-trailer accident that occurred on Tuesday, October 25 in Monroe County, Ohio. According to police, a car was traveling southbound on North Dixie Highway near U.S. Turnpike Road when a truck with 2 trailers struck the vehicle. The accident propelled the first car into a second car. An 87 year-old woman from Michigan was killed. Two minors were also injured.

CBS News reports a tractor-trailer accident that occurred on Thursday, October 27 around 8:00pm near Bristol, Indiana. According to authorities, a minivan on the Indiana Toll Road was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer after it slowed for a deer. Seven people were killed. Four were injured, two of which had to be airlifted to a hospital. The van and truck came to a rest in the center median and the toll road was closed until midnight.

Syracuse.com reports a tractor-trailer accident that occurred on Thursday, October 27 around 12:30pm in Seneca Falls, New York. An 88 year-old woman at the intersection of State and Fall streets was struck and killed by a red Volvo semi truck pulling a white trailer. The semi driver continued from the scene of the accident and did not stop to render aid to the woman. Police continue to investigate the accident and look for the driver of the tractor-trailer.

WLBT.com reports a delivery truck accident that occurred on Thursday, October 27 around 12:30pm in Senatobia, Mississippi. Police said a vehicle on Highway 51 South stopped to make a left turn. A green Saturn stopped behind the first car. An inattentive FedEx delivery truck driver did not notice the stopped vehicles and rear-ended the Saturn. Two children in the back seat, ages 6 and 2, died in the accident. Their mother, who was driving the Saturn, and a front seat passenger were injured and airlifted to a hospital.

There are very strict rules and regulations on both a State by State level, as well as on the federal level for the trucking industry.  The idea is to keep America’s roadways as safe as possible, and these regulations help to ensure that that happens.

The Indiana Motor Truck Association is the State’s voice for the trucking industry.  They work closely with government agencies and help lobby for new laws and regulations.  They also have a strong focus on safety and training those in the industry are best practices.

Quick State Transportation Facts:

All public roads: 93,608 miles
Interstate: 1,169 miles
Road bridges: 17,890
Automobiles registered: 3.2 million
Light trucks registered: 2.1 million
Heavy trucks registered: 58,000
Buses registered: 27,000
Motorcycles registered: 118,000

Being involved in an auto accident is scary enough, but what happens when you collide with an 18-wheeler carrying a full load of materials that weighs more than 10,000 pounds that is 20 times the size of your car? Statistics from the NHTSA show that in 2006 more than 106,000 people were injured in truck accidents, and of those people, three out of four of them were occupants of another vehicle.  That is a huge number and the reason The Indiana Motor Truck Association strives to educate not only drivers of big rigs but commuters as well.  Safety is paramount when you put these two vehicles on the road together.

WLWT.com reports a box truck accident that occurred on Monday, October 3 around 1:35pm in Vevay, Indiana. The driver of a box truck said he was distracted by an insect when he struck a parked police cruiser on Highway 56 at Maple Street. Two officers performing a routine traffic stop were hit by the box truck. One officer was thrown approximately 20 feet. He was airlifted to University Hospital in Cincinnati. The other officer was treated for minor injuries at King’s Daughters Hospital in Madison, Indiana. Switzerland County Sheriff’s Office will assist with the investigation.

The Denver Channel reports a waste truck accident that occurred on Monday, October 3 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. According to police, a truck operated by EDS Waste Solutions had an unsecured latch that leaked waste onto Interstates 70 & 76 for half of a mile. The slick hazard resulted in two motorcycle accidents and numerous car accidents on I-70 at Ward Road. The State Patrol also said a crash on I-76 was the result of the waste as well. Seven people were taken to the hospital after the accidents. The driver of the waste truck received two citations for spilling a load and causing injury. He has previously pled guilty to driving an overweight load.

The Daily News reports a semi truck accident that took place on Friday, September 30 at 7:49am in Le Roy, New York. According to representatives from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, the driver of a 2008 Mazda slowed on Route 19 North to turn left onto Griswold when the driver of a 2005 Mack tractor trailer rear-ended the Mazda. The semi truck then hit a 2006 Impala traveling on Route 19 South. The rig overturned, caught fire and came to a rest in a bystander’s front lawn. The Impala driver was airlifted to Strong Memorial Hospital with serious injuries. A driver & passenger inside the Mazda were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the semi truck also sustained internal injuries as a result of the crash.

The Courier Press reports a tractor trailer accident that injured three people on Thursday, September 29 at 5:40pm in Union County, Kentucky. According to representatives of the Kentucky State Police, the driver of a tractor-trailer ran a red light at the intersection of U.S. 60 and a bypass. The big rig struck a 2007 Chevy Impala traveling on U.S. 60 West. Two occupants of the Impala were transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville. A third occupant of the Impala was listed in fair condition at Deaconess Hospital.

The Lancaster Eagle Gazette reports a semi truck accident that occurred on Wednesday, September 21 around 9:35am in Lancaster, Ohio. Authorities stated that a semi truck driver ran through a Mill Park Drive stop sign and hit a company van on eastbound Ohio 188. The van came to a rest in a ditch after the accident, and its driver was reportedly unconscious. He was transported to Fairfield Medical Center for treatment. Both vehicles were towed after the collision.

Fox 59 reports a semi truck accident that occurred just prior to midnight on Wednesday, September 21 in Indianapolis, Indiana. According to representatives of the Indiana State Police, occupants of a Pontiac car and a Ford pickup were assessing a flat tire on the shoulder of Interstate 465. Shortly thereafter, a Freightliner tractor entered the shoulder near the I-74 interchange and struck the pickup truck, the truck’s trailer, and its driver. Two people were hurt from accident debris. One person suffered a broken leg and a passenger of the pickup truck was killed. The semi truck driver was cited for deficient air brakes and not maintaining a logbook. The semi was placed out of service after the accident.

The News Tribune reports a tow truck accident that occurred on Wednesday, September 21 in Benton City, Washington around 10:15am. According to state troopers, the driver of a 2002 International tow truck rear-ended a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria. The Ford was a pilot car alerting drivers to an oversized semi truck load on Interstate 82. The force of the impact pushed the car under the semi truck’s trailer, igniting a fire. Witnesses at the scene of the accident were unable to help the driver out of the car and he was killed by the flames.

ABC News 4 reports a tractor-trailer accident that occurred on Friday, September 23 in the Charleston County city of North Charleston, South Carolina around 2:00pm. Representatives of the county coroner’s office stated that a 50 year-old man was killed after his vehicle was lodged underneath a semi truck. According to police, the tractor-trailer driver turned onto Rivers Avenue from Beaufort Street and did not see an oncoming car. The victim was taken to MUSC hospital where he died.