Passenger Suffers Critical Injuries After Crash Into Parked Truck Tractor
An alleged drunk driver crashed into a parked truck tractor at 3:18 a.m. on Saturday, May 6th, on San Antonio’s Northwest Side in the 7100 block of Spring Grover Drive.
The driver of a red Pontiac G5 was traveling west when it veered over the sidewalk and hit a parked truck tractor head-on. The passenger, a 22-year-old woman, suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.
The driver of the Pontiac suffered minor injuries and admitted to drinking alcohol. The driver is facing charges of intoxication assault.
The Dangers of Parked Semi-Trucks
The large bulky trailers of semi-trucks make hitting a parked one nearly equivalent to hitting a brick wall. Even just the truck tractor portion is quite heavy and capable of causing serious damage.
Because of their size, truck tractors and trailers are generally restricted where they can park. They should not be close to a road and should be away from traffic.
When the driver cannot move their semi-truck, they are responsible for putting down triangle reflectors, flares, or other forms of caution. Truck drivers can be held liable if they fail to adequately warn drivers if they have stopped because of an emergency.
Even if the driver isn’t liable, the trucking company can be held responsible if an accident occurs because of a failure in preventative maintenance.
In the case of a legally parked truck, the driver can occasionally be held liable, but it’s not common. In these instances, the accident is treated as if the driver hit a fixed object.
Oftentimes, accidents involving parked trailers or other stationary objects can be quite serious as the force of impact is not evenly distributed, resulting in the moving vehicle suffering more damage. Serious injuries can occur in single-vehicle accidents causing life-changing health issues or death.
The best way to prevent this is to drive safely, keep a close eye on the road, and never drive when you’re intoxicated or tired.
