A November wreck involving an overturned cargo truck was allegedly the result of road rage. Fortunately, the driver of the overturned truck was not hurt. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. A co-worker of the driver of the overturned vehicle claims another truck driver cut his co-worker off, causing the crash. The wreck happened just south of Terry, on Interstate 55.
Road rage accidents can be dangerous and even deadly, especially when one or more of the vehicles involved is a large truck. Truck drivers are trained professionals. They are responsible for operating their large vehicles safely in all kinds of road and weather conditions, as well as in traffic. When a truck driver loses their ability to continue driving safely even while they are experiencing anger or other negative emotions, there is a danger to the public as well as to the truck driver.
In 2016, a woman died in a trucking accident that has been attributed to road rage. The facts that describe the scenario that led up to the fatal wreck are shocking because many people are unaware that such things occur on America’s highways. Three trucks belonging to one company were traveling between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Eugene, Oregon. As they traveled, they encountered an RV. The RV is owned by another transportation company and was driven by a professional driver who holds a CDL license. Before the fatal crash, the three truck drivers and the driver of the RV had engaged in a perilous cat-and-mouse game on a two-lane highway. All four drivers were cutting each other off, driving aggressively, braking sharply, and passing each other, even in areas where passing was prohibited. In fact, in the seconds before the collision, one of the truck drivers attempted to pass the RV in a no-passing zone. When the truck driver realized there was a car approaching, he tried to return to the lane where he had been traveling. The driver of the RV maneuvered his vehicle in a way that prohibited the truck driver from moving back into the lane. The truck driver struck the car head-on, killing a woman and severely injuring her husband.
The two trucking companies whose vehicles were involved in the wreck and their drivers faced severe penalties as the result of the deadly crash. A judge recently upheld the jury’s award to the woman’s family, which exceeds twenty-six million dollars, and one of the truck drivers involved in the fatal collision pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter.
Truck drivers, like all drivers, must follow the rules of the road and operate their vehicles safely. If you were injured in a road rage trucking accident or a family member lost their life, you might be able to file a claim for the damages that you and your family have experienced in connection with the accident. Learn more about your options following a Mississippi road rage truck crash by calling the knowledgeable Mississippi Trucking Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC, at 1 (800) 707-9577 today.