Similarities in pair of Illinois 18-wheeler crashes on interstates

On Behalf of Johnston Law Offices P.C   |   Jul 4, 2019   |   Truck Accidents ,

According to news reports over the past several days, there have been a pair of truck crashes on Illinois interstate highways that are remarkably similar. In the tractor-trailer crash near Edwardsville a couple of days ago, traffic on Interstate 55 had slowed due to road construction.

A 31-year-old trucker failed to slow his 2019 Freightliner, slamming into the rear of a Nissan Altima. Photos from the crash appear to indicate that the 18-wheeler struck mainly the rear driver’s-side corner of the car.

The 54-year-old woman behind the wheel of the Nissan suffered only minor injuries in the crash, while the trucker was hospitalized with injuries described in an Edwardsville Intelligence report as serious.

According to the article, the other drivers in the four-vehicle crash declined medical attention.

The other Illinois tractor-trailer crash was on I-74. The trucker in that case was killed after he failed to reduce speed in his truck tractor for traffic that had slowed due to a previous accident.

The truck tractor struck a Peterbilt 18-wheeler and was then engulfed in flames. The truck tractor driver was unable to escape his vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the fiery crash.

We don’t yet know why the pair of truckers failed to slow their vehicles, but in similar incidents, officials have blamed the crashes on one of several factors:

  • Fatigue
  • Distraction
  • Impairment
  • Excess speed

If you or a loved one has been harmed in a tractor-trailer crash, contact an Edwardsville lawyer experienced in obtaining maximum compensation in personal injury litigation.