Kyle Christopher Steger Killed in Multi-Truck Accident on I-65 in Franklin, KY
Franklin, KY -- March 24, 2022, 28-year-old Kyle Christopher Steger was killed in a fiery multi-vehicle accident along Interstate 65 in Franklin.
Authorities say the incident happened around 4:30 a.m. on southbound I-65 near mile marker 2, close to the Tennessee state line. Preliminary investigation suggests Steger was driving a Ford Ecosport SUV south on the highway when he crossed onto the right shoulder for unknown reasons. Once there the Ford crashed into a parked tractor-trailer. It re-entered the roadway where it was hit by two more passing semi-trucks.
Steger was ejected from his vehicle in the wreck and was pronounced dead at the scene.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Kyle Christopher Steger Accident on I-65 in Franklin
At this early phase of investigation there are still a great many lingering questions that need answers. Obviously one of the biggest details to iron out is precisely how the SUV might have crashed into the first truck on the shoulder. Was the driver distracted when approaching? Did he lose control due to something out of his hands, like a vehicular failure or a bad patch of road? How is visibility in that area at night? Are there streetlights in that area? Were the truck's hazard lights on and clean enough to be clearly visible? Did that truck driver obey federal regulations and put out high-visibility cones or reflectors behind the truck?
All those questions and more have to be worked out in relation to the primary accident, but it's also important to look more closely at the secondary crashes too. How much time passed between when the SUV re-entered the road and when it was hit by the second and third trucks? Was it a matter of just a few moments, or did several minutes go by? Could or should a reasonably prudent professional truck driver have noticed the disabled vehicle in his path and either stopped or taken evasive action? If either or both truck drivers could reasonably have avoided the disabled SUV, why didn't they?
I know how much of that may seem, but I'm not keen to point undeserved fingers or say I know better than police what really happened here. The questions I asked and many others like them are the same ones prudent investigators would ultimately end up asking while figuring out what happened and if it could (or should) have been avoided. Learning whether someone didn't take action they should have to avoid making a bad moment worse is part of figuring out who or what is responsible for the victim's tragically-fatal injuries. Investigators may ultimately find a simple explanation for the whole thing, but most crashes--particularly those involving commercial vehicles--are usually quite complex and need careful examination. Will appropriate attention to detail be paid here, or would more answers be found through independent investigation?
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