Two Injured When Truck Hit Stopped Car
A driver whose car had broken down and another who had stopped to help were sent to the hospital with life-threatening injuries last week when their cars were struck by a passing tractor-trailer. After the crash, which happened December 13 shortly after 1 a.m. on I-95 South in Mamaroneck, New York State Police closed the highway around Exit 18 southbound for nearly four hours.
Details Clarified After Confusion
Some information on the crash seems to have been initially misreported and is still not complete, but it appears that the first driver, a twenty-seven-year-old Bronx man, was able to pull onto the right shoulder when his car broke down. The second driver, a twenty-six-year-old woman, also from the Bronx, stopped to help, parking her vehicle in the rightmost travel lane.
Both drivers were out of their vehicles and in front of them when the truck came on the scene a few minutes later. The truck rear-ended the Good Samaritan’s car, which then hit the disabled vehicle, and one or both of the cars were pushed onto the victims, pinning them beneath. The truck driver was not injured in the collision.
Use Common Sense for Safety
The truck driver was the immediate cause of the crash because his vehicle struck another, but he hadn’t been ticketed at the last report. It’s possible, however, that the crash could have been avoided entirely if a little more thought had been given to safety by the driver who left one of the vehicles in a travel lane instead of pulling onto the shoulder in front of or behind the disabled vehicle.
That stretch of highway can be busy, even at that hour, and visibility may have been limited because the vehicles were stopped on a curve. Traffic professionals recommend that, when drivers break down, they should pull off to the side of the road immediately and call for help from within the vehicle, not leaving the car unless they have to.
This advice can save your life: In June, a Queens man was killed on the same stretch of I-95 in Mamaroneck while he was changing a flat tire. He is believed to have been struck by a tandem tractor-trailer, which was never located.
Westchester Truck Accident Lawyer
We all do our best to avoid getting into accidents, but they sometimes happen despite our best efforts. If you have been injured in a crash involving a truck or any other kind of motor vehicle, get in touch with Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP. We are an experienced personal injury law firm with a focus on helping the victims of vehicle accidents get the compensation they need to put their lives back together.
For a free consultation to discuss your case, give us a call at 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) or fill out the form below.
