Manhattan

Published on: May 21, 2012

18-Wheeler Hits Car Then Overturns

by Stephen Bilkis

Added to a series of accidents involving tractor-trailers nationwide this year, a tractor-trailer hits a car before it overturns. Local authorities near Shreveport, LA, are in the process of cleaning up a two-vehicle collision involving a tractor-trailer and a car.

This accident occurred on southbound I-49 about 1a.m. Sunday. It began with the driver of the tractor-trailer becoming distracted while reaching for a bag of potato chips. While reaching for these chips, he allowed the truck to veer into the lane to his left. By the time the driver realized what had happened, he attempted to correct his path but in so doing, he wiped out the vehicle that was in the left lane. It was at this point that both vehicles overturned after leaving the roadway. Accidents like this are unusual in Manhattan and Long Island.

First responders arrived at the accident scene within minutes, rerouted traffic as necessary, and attended to the injured. Both the driver of the tractor-trailer and the driver of the car received life-threatening injuries. The car driver was stabilized for transport, airlifted from the accident scene, and taken to LSU Medical Center, where she remains in intensive care (ICU) in critical condition.

Published on: May 5, 2012

Tour Bus and Semi Collide Killing One

by Stephen Bilkis

One woman was killed and four others were injured after a tour bus and a tractor-trailer collided Saturday night. The truck accident occurred just after 7pm on Highway 33 in the town of Herman, which is approximately five miles west of Allenton, WI, after the semi-driver reportedly failed to yield to the bus at the intersection of Highway 33 and Highway P, and the semi slammed into the bus.

Immediately after the collision, the bus flipped twice and slid into the ditch, witnesses have told the police. Law enforcement officials at the scene stated that the accident could have been much, worse than it was, had the bus been fully laden with passengers. The 52-year old driver and the surviving passenger, also a 75-year old woman, were all transported to different local hospitals for treatment. Their current medical conditions are unknown as of the time of this article.

While the bus lay on its side in the ditch, the truck (a cabover with the truck cab over top of the engine) was raised up and over to the side and was completely mangled due to the crash. The 30-year old driver and the 30-year old passenger of the semi were not quite as fortunate, for both had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital. The highway was closed due to the accident for more than six hours. Firefighters were watchful for any signs of fire and were concerned with any fuel that could spill either from the overturned bus, or from the mangled semi-truck.

Published on: April 28, 2012

Police Looking for Witness to Vehicle Accident

by Stephen Bilkis

The driver of a Wonderbread truck may have witnessed a fatal vehicle crash that killed a 20-year old man. Police are looking for the bread truck driver to question him about what he saw on Nashville Road and Highway 50 around 6:30am when the accident occurred. The young man was driving in one direction when his car jumped the center divider and hit a pickup truck traveling in the other direction. There are no other witnesses to question about this accident.

The driver of the pickup truck survived and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for minor bruises and other minor injuries. It is unclear at this time why the young man would swerve his car into the lane. The car may have malfunctioned or the man may have fallen asleep behind the wheel. With many possibilities, local law enforcement officials are hoping the bread truck driver may be able to provide additional details. So far, police have not been able to locate the driver of the bread truck.

Since police have yet to determine how this accident happened, the young man’s name has not been released. Police may also need more time to locate the man’s family so they can make funeral arrangements and begin the grieving process. Funeral arrangements will probably be announced once the man’s identity has been released.

Published on: April 2, 2012

Propane Truck Upset Causes Alarm

by Stephen Bilkis

North Carolina became the site of a dramatic situation that resembled many Hollywood movies early on Tuesday morning, when a propane truck overturned on N.C. 68 in the Pleasant Ridge area. One vehicle was involved in the accident in addition to the truck, reported a witness that provided details of the incident. One person involved in the crash was injured, but the injuries were not considered serious. Traffic was detoured throughout the day, but it was anticipated that normal flow would resume by Wednesday.

Due to the highly volatile nature of propane, the truck accident had to be dealt with extremely carefully by fire and rescue crews. The Deputy Chief of the Greensboro Fire department was on hand to provide oversight and communicate with reporters. He said that after the accident, emergency crews safely transferred as much propane as possible out of the tank, although it was impossible to remove the entire load. The attorney connected with the case said that a third-party company with experience in these types of truck accidents had been called in to set the propane tank upright so the extraction process could be completed.

Specifics in the case are still forthcoming from the investigating officers. It is unclear at this time if anyone involved would face criminal charges, although the advocate said that such litigation would be unlikely, due to the relatively minor level of injury to those involved. Investigating officers in Manhattan and Queens are expected to release a report when they conclude their investigation.

Published on: March 29, 2012

Driver falls asleep at wheel

by Stephen Bilkis

Early in the morning in Cumberland County PA, a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. This is the second tractor trailer truck accident of the day.

According to a witness, this happened at about mile marker 46. The truck came to a stop on the edge of an embankment and blocked the southbound lane of traffic near Exit 45.

Because of this accident the road had to be closed for over two hours this morning. It was a real pain for drivers who got detoured off of this route. They had to travel on four different roads before being able to get back on the Interstate according to police. Finally the left southbound lane opened again at about 7:30 am, as reported by a policeman. The road ended up being closed just an hour and a half later due to another truck accident.

Published on: February 5, 2012

Luck was with this overturned semi driver

by Stephen Bilkis

No one goes off to work in the morning thinking they may be in an truck accident. The trucker in this accident case wasn’t expecting to overturn his rig either, said a friend. Unfortunately, it happened and the truck blocked large portions of the Interstate near an exit ramp. Traffic was re-routed around the big rig and on to the shoulder.

The police report is not clear on what caused the trucker to overturn his rig. They are searching for his cell phone and any other items in the cab of the truck that will give them some idea of what he was doing just prior to the accident. They will want to know if he was texting or talking on his cell phone, using a computer while driving or adjusting his GPS on the dashboard. It only takes mere seconds of inattention to the road to lose control of an 18-wheeler, explained the source.

The roads at the time weren’t in the best condition and there is also some speculation that the truck accident may have been caused by the semi hitting a patch of black ice, which raises the question of what speed the trucker was going. The police will be checking the onboard computer to find out his speed and whether or not he applied his brakes before rolling over.

Published on: January 20, 2012

Trucker overturns with load of live chickens

by Stephen Bilkis

Some days, it doesn’t even pay to get out of bed and go to work. Some days, things go fine and other days, they wind up to be a truly memorable occasion that one wishes to forget. This trucking accidentcase was one of those days the trucker would love to write off and forget, but, unfortunately, it will likely dog his footsteps for many years to come, given the nature of the mishap.

The big rig in this case was heading south on the highway and for some reason, yet to be determined, the rig flipped over. The cargo was 8,740 live chickens on their way to the processing plant, explained a report. The accident scene posed a major problem for rescue crews as they would need to figure out how to handle the chickens and where to take them.

The trucker wasn’t badly hurt; shaken up, but did not receive life-threatening injuries. He will be questioned by the police as to what happened just prior to his rig flipping over, said the police. Was he reaching for something on the dashboard or the seat next to him? Was he DUI? Was he trying to dial a cell phone? One thing is for sure, if he had not turned over with no one near him at the time, this truck accident could have turned out to be a lot worse than it was.

Published on: January 7, 2012

Two truckers hurt in accident involving both semis

by Stephen Bilkis

Strange things sometimes happen when you least expect them. This trucker and trucker accident case was unusual, as it did not involve moving vehicles, which should have meant a relatively benign outcome. Unfortunately, given the nature of the injuries, that may not be the case, indicated the police report.

This truck accident took place at a car manufacturing plant and happened just as the two semis were leaving the premises. One of the rigs stopped on its way out of the lot for an inspection before hitting the road. Evidently, the driver had some trouble opening the doors.

The driver of the other rig, noticing that his buddy was having problems, came over to help him out. As he got out to help the other trucker, the big rig moved forward and pinned both of them between the trucks; a pretty horrific truck accident, commented the officer.

Published on: January 2, 2012

Jackknifed Semi Accident Badly Injures Four

by Stephen Bilkis

The semi in this case badly injured four when it jackknifed right at the scene of another crash on the highway, said a reporter. The bad weather conditions were the cause of the first accident and the snowfall was not letting up any when the second truck accident happened.

The highway was alive with the presence of numerous police officers, who had responded to the first accident, when a big rig driver lost control while trying to speed past another vehicle on the snowy highway. The rig hit a disabled car and two officers who were checking on the motorist, explained the police. Accidents like this one do not occur often in Manhattan or the Bronx.

One officer was trapped under the semi and rescue personnel had their work cut out for them to rescue him. The officer under the truck had rib and chest injuries, as well as a broken ankle. He was taken to the nearest hospital for medical help. The second officer hurt sustained head lacerations in the truck crash and a dislocated shoulder after being tossed into the air and landing 100 feet down the road.

Published on: December 27, 2011

Semi Driver Killed When Rig Leaves Road

by Stephen Bilkis

They say that the truth is often stranger than fiction and this case certainly points that out, said a report. The trucker in this case had no idea he was going to be involved in a fatal truck accidentthis day.

Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the truck swerved off the road just before a highway exit and hit an abandoned minivan that was parked on the shoulder. The truck continued on down a steep embankment and slammed into a sound berm about 100 feet off the road and burst into flames. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, reported the observer.

This case could have turned out a lot differently had the trucker veered into traffic. The accident could have involved other vehicles and resulted in other fatalities. There are several major questions the police want answers to, not the least of which is what made the driver veer off the road? Had he fallen asleep at the wheel? Was he talking on a cell phone? Did a tire blow? Did his load shift? Was the steering defective? One thing the police do know is that speed and alcohol were not factors in the accident.