William Martisch Injured in Tractor-Trailer Accident in Edison, NJ
Edison, NJ -- April 13, 2022, William Martisch was injured due to an accident where a tractor-trailer ran off-road and hit Martisch on the median.
In their initial reports, authorities with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority said the incident happened at around 8:47 a.m. along the New Jersey Turnpike mile marker 87.9.
According to officials, 55-year-old William Martisch was along the turnpike median doing work for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. While there, a southbound tractor-trailer somehow left the roadway and hit Martisch.
Due to the collision, Martisch reportedly had serious injuries. The exact cause of the crash remains unclear at this time.
Commentary on William Martisch Tractor-Trailer Accident in Edison
For a tractor-trailer to just careen off the roadway suddenly certainly raises some red flags. The victim here appears to have been little more than an unsuspecting person in the wrong place at the wrong time. Finding out exactly why all of this happened and whether or not it could have been avoided will no doubt be a crucial step in getting the victim and their family the help they deserve. To that end, it's important that experienced investigators look into things, and that could mean far more thorough investigations than police alone typically handle.
Here's why I say that. First of all, folks shouldn't just immediately blame the truck driver. For all we know, this was a sudden tire blowout due to debris in the road. It's also possible there was another reckless driver that left the scene which authorities didn't initially include in reports. This could even be something highly unusual, such as a mechanical defect. But even if the truck driver did make a mistake, that's not always as simple as seeing if they were on their phone.
Case in point, I had a case a while back in which a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel after driving for over 20 hours straight. It was obviously reckless, but we wanted to be thorough instead of just jumping on what seemed to be an easy solution. What we ultimately dug up was the driver's employer would routinely coerce drivers into meeting unreasonable deadlines which all but required them to bend and break the rules. If they didn't cut corners to meet these ludicrous expectations, they risked losing their jobs. So not only did the driver's bosses contribute to that serious crash, their behavior was likely putting countless others at risk, as well.
With a situation like that, a simple police report isn't likely to address all the problems surrounding an accident. While a seemingly open-and-shut fact pattern can get people some much needed help, that's not always the only priority. With the hundreds of families I've helped over the years, they also had another goal: to see those responsible for their hardships held fully accountable for their actions. That only comes with diligent investigations, thorough evidence, and careful legal strategy. Whether or not those steps are being taken here remains to be seen.
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