Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Police are investigating a truck accident in Danvers that seriously injured a 17-year-old boy. The accident occurred yesterday just before 7:30am when the teen crossed the street and was hit by a cement truck, according to police. He suffered a broken pelvis, contusion, and a gash on his head.

The truck accident victim was taken by ambulance and then MedFlight helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital. As of yesterday afternoon, he was in the intensive care unit and would undergo surgery to repair the fracture on Thursday or Friday. He had stitches for the gash on his head.

The truck accident is still being investigated, but speed was not believed to be a factor. Solar glare may have contributed to the accident.

Source: High school student hit by cement truck in Danvers, Boston Globe, February 4, 2010

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Here in Massachusetts and around the country, safety advocates have been calling for a ban on text messaging while driving, which has been proven to increase the likelihood of an auto crash. On Tuesday, the Transportation Department unveiled its new rule that bans interstate commercial truck and bus drivers from text messaging while driving. Those who violate the rule will be subject to civil or criminal fines up to $2,750.

According to the National Safety Council, text messaging and other cell phone-related activities cause more 1.6 million traffic accidents every year.

The department is working on new rules that cut down on the use of dashboard-mounted computers that some drivers use to communicate with dispatchers. While some companies discourage drivers from using such computers, many truckers still use the devices regularly. The department is also working on regulations that would govern when truckers are permitted to use cell phones for conversation.

Sources: DOT bans texting by bus and commercial truck drivers, USA Today, January 26, 2010
Rule Bans Texting for Truckers and Bus Drivers, New York Times, January 26, 2010

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According to a state police news release, a Chelsea driver faces motor vehicular homicide charges related to a fatal truck accident that occurred on December 8. The Massachusetts Turnpike crash killed a Whitinsville man. The truck driver is charged with motor vehicular homicide by negligence. Charges of marked lanes and breakdown lane violations will heard at a later date.

A preliminary investigation of the truck crash shows that a tractor-trailer unit was being serviced in the breakdown lane when it was hit by another vehicle. The vehicle hit a 36-year-old man who was repairing the tractor-trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the auto accident.

The driver of the disabled tractor-trailer was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center – University Campus, where he was treated for serious injuries.

Source: Driver in fatal truck accident charged with motor vehicle homicide, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, January 20, 2010

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This morning around 9am, a motor vehicle crash on Route 2 west injured several drivers and seriously injured the driver of a tanker truck that reportedly drove onto the right shoulder of the roadway and rolled over onto the vehicles on its left.

The driver of the tanker truck was cited for speeding and taken by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. His vehicle was carrying several thousand gallons of diesel fuel, but fortunately none of it spilled. At least one other person was injured and several vehicles crushed.

As a result of the auto collision, authorities closed the road and diverted traffic in both directions. The scene of the accident was cleared roughly two and a half hours later, and the collision is still being investigated.

Source: Tanker truck driver seriously injured after rollover, Boston Globe, January 13, 2010

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Last week, a single-vehicle accident on Massachusetts’ Interstate 84 near the Bethel-Danbury line injured a 62-year-old man, sending him to Danbury Hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries.”

According to police, the man’s pickup truck crossed from the left lane to the right shoulder and overturned, ejecting the driver from his vehicle. The man reportedly took his eye off the road when he adjusting the truck’s heater.

Massachusetts state police closed the highway completely while emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene of the truck crash. About an hour after the truck crash, they reopened one lane of traffic. As vehicles funneled past the site of the accident, they were reported to be going about 5-10 miles per hour.

The truck accident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed.

Source: Man hospitalized after I-84 crash in Danbury, NewsTimes.com, December 29, 2009

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Almost a year after a fire truck crash killed a Massachusetts firefighter returning from a routine medical call, the Suffolk County district attorney has released a lengthy report showing that no one was criminally responsible for the truck accident.

The DA had considered possible charges of manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide for negligent operation but concluded that many factors contributed to the truck accident. The investigation includes 400 pages of reports on safety inspections and 30 interviews.

The truck crash occurred when a 22-ton fire truck crashed into a concrete wall near Parker Hill due to a brake failure. The firefighter sounded the horn of the truck as it descended down the hill to warn other vehicles and pedestrians.

A report from the Boston Fire Department showed that the department had not adequately maintained its fire trucks.

Source: No criminal charges in fatal Boston fire truck crash, NECN.com, December 11, 2009

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In Grafton, Massachusetts, a truck accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike killed a 36-year-old man who had just repaired a disabled tanker truck. He was apparently hit and killed by a 2008 Freightliner box truck that hit the tanker truck, then hit him.

The driver of the tanker truck also sustainer serious injuries including a broken arm and was transported by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center – University Campus in Worchester.

According to the state Department of Transportation, the occurred truck crasharound 9:30am in the westbound portion of the highway. Two lanes of traffic were for roughly two and a half hours during the investigation of the deadly truck accident.

Source: Deadly crash on Pike, Worcester Telegram, December 9, 2009

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On Monday morning, a motor vehicle accident involving three tractor trailers and one car caused numerous delays on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Around 2:30am, one of the tractor trailers hit a tollbooth at the Weston Tolls on the eastbound side. Although a tollbooth operator was inside the building when the traffic crash occurred, the operator managed to escape injury.

The three trucks involved in the accident were carrying goods including beef, paper goods, and tomatoes, which spilled over the roadway. The driver of the car involved in the Massachusetts Pike accident was taken to the hospital with minor injuries after the vehicle was wedged underneath one of the tractor trailers.

The motor vehicle accident is still under investigation, and the scene of the accident was cleared by around 10:30am. In order to keep traffic flowing, motorists did not have to pay tolls after four lanes of traffic opened in the morning.

Tractor trailers involved in crash at Weston tolls on Pike, WHDH.com, October 26, 2009

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On Friday morning, a 50-year-old from Marlborough died after being ejected from his truck in a rollover crash. Police say the man was driving south on Route 66 when his Chevrolet Silverado 2500 truck went off the road just after midnight.

He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the truck accident, and a coroner pronounced him dead on the scene. A 47-year-old from Florida suffered minor injuries, while two other passengers in the truck were not injured.

Police say they believe the truck accident was weather-related, though they have yet to determine the cause of the accident.

Mass. man killed in Forest County accident, GoErie.com, October 17, 2009

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The hazards of text messaging while driving well known, but a recent study found that the risk is disproportionately higher for truckers than those behind the wheel of a car. The study, which was conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, found that truckers who text are 23 times more likely to be involved in a traffic crash or get into a near-wreck than an undistracted driver.

The study also found that the greatest risk to car drivers is when they dial a cell phone. A truck driver is 5.9 times more likely than an undistracted driver to get into a motor vehicle accident while dialing a cell phone. Car drivers are 2.8 times more likely. A trucker who reaches for an electronic device increases their accident risk 6.7 times, while a car driver increases risk by 1.4. According to the study, drivers spend five seconds out of a six second window looking away from the road when they are engaged with an electronic device.

The study was based on research from 2004 to 2007, and researchers looked at video footage from cameras inside of vehicles to look at how drivers engage with the road while using their cell phones. Based on these findings, the researchers recommend that drivers forego cell phones while driving, even if they are using a hands-free phone.

Study: Texting while driving more dangerous for truckers, CNN.com, July 28, 2009

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On Friday morning, a dump truck crashed into several parked cars in Cohasset Village. Cohasset police say the truck went onto the sidewalk, hit a large trash container, then crossed into oncoming traffic before hitting an SUV and crashing into three parked cars. The driver, 74, of Cohasset, was taken to South Short Hospital with minor injuries. Miraculously, no one else was injured.

Four vehicles were towed from the scene of the truck crash and parts of Cohasset Village streets were closed for approximately two hours. The accident caused a lot of property damage, so Cohasset police enlisted the help of the Weymouth Police Department's accident reconstruction specialist to assist with the investigation.

The dump truck accident remains under investigation, and no citations have been issued thus far.

Dump truck crashes through Cohasset Village, Patriot Ledger, June 13, 2009

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In response to a truck accident earlier this month involving a trucker from Massachusetts, legislators are considering a federal bill that would give a tax incentive to trucking companies that install GPS and other high-tech safety equipment. The proposed technology includes automated systems that shut down trucks with an overloaded brake system and warn drivers if their truck strays outside of their lane.

Trucking companies would be allowed to deduct up to $3,500 per truck (for a total of $350,000 per year) through 2014. They could also deduct the cost of buying systems to slow down trucks driving too fast around winding curves. The proposal is part of a larger federal transportation technology bill, which will receive a vote over the next several weeks.

According to a study conducted last year, truck accidents are responsible for nearly 5,000 deaths and over 100,000 injuries.

Federal proposal offers incentives to increase truck safety, Pasadena Star-News, April 24, 2009

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A truck carrying several cars crashed into several vehicles and a bookstore on the Angeles Crest Highway, so authorities have enacted a 90-day ban on big rigs, which took effect at midnight. Signs now warn drivers that trucks with five or more axles are not allowed on the highway.

The Massachusetts trucker, 43-year-old Marcos Costa, had evidently ignored warning signs and used Angeles Forest Highway, which already prohibits semi-tractor trailers. The highway’s steep grade caused the truck to burn out its brakes, killing two people when it pushed through the intersection and crushed a red Ford sedan. The trucker and twelve other people were injured. Three were in critical condition.

Costa was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving. He has been charged with two felony counts of manslaughter relating to the truck crash.

Big rig ban in effect after fatal crash, ABCLocal.com, April 6, 2009

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On Monday afternoon, a truck accident on Route 128 in Lexington snarled traffic for several miles. The accident occurred just before 5:30pm when a tractor trailer carrying construction equipment hit an overpass.

The truck was traveling down the southbound lane of the highway near the exit to Route 4 and 225, so police had to close the southbound lanes following the tractor trailer accident. They later opened two lanes so that traffic could continue.

According to the state police, the construction equipment came off the truck when it hit the Grove Street bridge. Although three other vehicles hit the equipment on the roadway, no injuries were reported. The accident caused damage to the overpass, but officials expect it to remain open.

MA highway snarled by truck accident, Boston Globe, March 16, 2009

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Last week, the driver a semi tractor-trailer looked away from the road for a moment to reach a bottle of water and set off a nine-car crash. The tractor-trailer veered off-course and rear-ended another vehicle, creating a domino effect that involved several other vehicles. The semi hit the guard rail, turned, and slid into three more vehicles.

Fortunately, only one person sustained injuries severe enough to require a trip to the hospital. A 32-year-old plumber was taken to the hospital and treated for non life-threatening injuries. The driver of the semi truck, a 47-year-old trucker from Ohio, received a ticket for careless driving.

The motor vehicle accident caused police to close off northbound traffic and detour southbound traffic for part of the morning.

Trucker ticketed in 9-car crash in Green Oak Township, Mlive.com, January 27, 2009

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An out-of-control fire engine rammed through a gate and crashed into a Mission Hill apartment building, killing a firefighter and seriously injuring another. The firefighter sitting in the driver’s seat died instantly, while the severely injured firefighter was transported to Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he was treated for a head injury. Two more sustained minor injuries and were treated at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center in Boston.

A nurse who had just parked his car on his way to work at Brigham and Women’s Hospital rushed to aid the injured passengers. "It was a mess, he told the Boston Globe. I'm a little overwhelmed by it all. I just think it was an instinctual thing to help."

City officials speaking to the Globe on condition of anonymity said that the fire truck's breaks may have failed, though the cause of the fire truck has not been confirmed. That same truck was involved in a traffic accident on December 10, but city officials determined that the driver who had crashed into the truck was at fault.

Horrific crash kills firefighter, Boston Globe, January 10, 2009

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In Massachusetts, a two vehicle accident forced road closures in between Ludlow and Granby. In Ludlow, West Street at Brook Street were closed to through traffic, and in Granby, East Street at Truby Street was also closed as a result of the accident, which sent a dump truck and its contents into Stony Brook.

Before they could move the truck and reopen the roads, cleanup crews had to empty the contents of the truck. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection also worked to protect the water supply from gas and oil leaks from the damaged truck.

The names or conditions of the drivers involved with the truck accident were not released to the public.

Rollover closes Ludlow & Granby roads, WWLP.com, January 7, 2009

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A Massachusetts man driving a 2003 GMC Sierra in Derry, New Hampshire is in critical condition after suffering serious injuries in an early morning truck accident a few days after Christmas.

Police say Travis Cook, 20, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts was driving on Island Pond Road toward Route 111 when his pickup truck crossed the median, crashing into a stone wall. The collision occurred just after 2am.

After emergency medical responders discovered the truck accident victim lying in the road, Cook was transported to Parkland Medical Center and later moved to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition.

Mass. man in critical after Derry accident, The Eagle-Tribune, December 30, 2008

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In Swansea, Massachusetts, cleanup crews worked into the night after a tanker trunk rolled over on Sunday morning on Interstate 195, spilling several thousand gallons of gasoline. According to the fire chief, rescue teams were able to recover about 2,000 gallons of the 12,500 gallons spilled.

State police say that the truck rollover occurred at 5:50am a half-mile from Exit 3, the Swansea Mall exit ramp. Kim Kilbreth, 55, who was driving the trucker reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which came to rest on its right side.

As of Monday morning, the right eastbound lane of I-95 was still closed. State police are investigating the cause of the truck accident. No injuries were reported.

Swansea rollover leads to massive gas spill, SouthCoastToday.com, November 17, 2008

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Investigators have concluded the investigation into a truck rollover off Western Avenue in Essex, Massachusetts. As a result of the truck accident, a man was sent to Massachusetts General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The accident occurred in October when John Larry Ayers, 59, was delivering stone to Fisher Corp. Ayers is a driver with Bentley Warren in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and the truck rolled over while he was dumping the stone. Firefighters had to extract Ayer from the truck’s cab using the Jaws of Life. The accident victim was then flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital and released after a medical evaluation.

Conducted by Essex police, the Massachusetts State Police truck team, the Massachusetts State Police accident reconstruction team, and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the investigation concluded that the truck accident was the result of operator error. No charged were files, and the case is now closed.

Driver error blamed for truck accident, Gloucester Times, November 4, 2008

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