Crash South of Isleton Involves Seven Vehicles
A major crash occurred in Sacramento County on May 27 when two vehicles collided, causing a pileup. The accident happened around 2:15 p.m. along State Route 12 near Jackson Slough Road south of Isleton. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) report stated that heavy traffic had stopped for an unknown reason on SR 12 eastbound when a car hauler, which neither slowed nor stopped, slammed into a minivan and caused an accident with three additional vehicles in front.
Semi Crosses Into Opposing Lane in Major Crash
At that point, the semi crossed over into a lane heading westbound and struck two additional cars before it went down an embankment. The minivan driver suffered major injuries in the collision and was transported by air ambulance to a hospital in the area. Although the driver of the minivan was reportedly not expected to survive, it turned out they had only suffered a broken arm.
Five People Transported to Hospitals With Injuries
Four additional patients were transported to hospitals for further evaluation of what were described as minor injuries. The South Sacramento CHP office is conducting an investigation into the cause of the major crash. However, neither alcohol nor drugs are expected to have been factors in the collision.
Why Collisions With Big Trucks Happen
Handling a big rig is a big deal. A tractor-trailer is much larger and heavier than a passenger vehicle, so great caution has to be exercised to avoid crashes that could potentially cause harm to others. Some of the reasons a truck driver or the owner of the big rig could be at fault for a collision include:
- Bad brakes are among the most common causes of a major crash with a big rig. Brakes on a tractor-trailer are complex, and lack of maintenance can easily lead to an accident. Around 30 percent of all accidents caused by large commercial trucks are due to brake failure. Misuse, wear and tear, defects, and overloading the trailer are some causes.
- Speeding is another problem with drivers of large commercial vehicles. In some cases, the trucker is behind schedule or in a hurry to make the delivery, so they can load up and make another run. In others, the trucker may be under pressure by the trucking company that employs them.
- Overloaded or badly loaded cargo can lead to a major crash. When a big rig is overloaded, the extra weight can make it difficult for the trucker to stop or slow down if there is a problem with the traffic ahead. In other cases, cargo that isn’t properly loaded can shift, which creates its own set of problems and can lead to a major crash.
- Distracted driving can lead to a major crash involving truckers as well as drivers of passenger vehicles. Although truckers are prohibited from talking on a cell phone or texting while driving under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations, they can use it for dispatches. In addition, truckers are allowed to use hands-free devices.
Truck Accident Lawyers in Sacramento
My name is Ed Smith. I’m a Sacramento truck accident lawyer. When big trucks cause an accident, injuries are common. If you were injured by a negligent trucker, you have the right to claim compensation to pay for your injuries, lost work, and pain and suffering. Contact our injury lawyers by calling for free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. You can also reach us online. By arranging a consultation with one of our lawyers at no cost to you, either virtually or in person, you can have your case reviewed and find out how you can recover compensation.
Our injury lawyers work hard to obtain compensation for our clients, as you can see at the following links:
Million Dollar Advocates and the Top 1 Percent are two of the groups we are especially proud to belong to.
Photo attribution: Image by Valter Cirillo from Pixabay
:cd llo [675]