Raul Alejandro Smith Killed in Tractor-Trailer Accident in Edgewood, MD
Edgewood, MD -- April 21, 2022, Raul Alejandro Smith was killed due to an accident where a tractor-trailer allegedly ran a red light.
According to initial reports from authorities, the crash happened at around 2:40 p.m. along Emmorton Road at Philadelphia Road.
Officials said that 36-year-old Raul Alejandro Smith was in a car traveling along Emmorton Road. At Philadelphia, reports said that an oncoming tractor-trailer failed to stop for a red signal, turning into the path of Smith's vehicle and crashing into it. Smith's vehicle then crashed with an SUV.
Due to the collision, Smith sustained injuries ultimately proving fatal. It appears no one else was hurt. Right now, additional details are unavailable.
Commentary on Raul Alejandro Smith Tractor-trailer Accident in Edgewood
Going through a red light is pretty darn egregious, and if that claim is true, there are very few acceptable reasons for something like that to happen. Short of something highly unusual like a faulty traffic signal or a sudden mechanical defect, it's likely that the truck driver made a big mistake here. But just saying that isn't enough. Victims and families need evidence telling their side of the story to ensure they get all the help they can possibly get and to ensure those responsible for their hardships are held fully accountable. Are those steps being taken here?
Let me explain why these situations can get so complex, even when the facts seem clear. Not long ago, I handled a situation in which a truck driver caused a serious crash while texting and driving. Pretty open-and-shut, right? Well, our investigations revealed the driver had been texting his supervisor. That supervisor would constantly text and call drivers all day, and if they didn't respond immediately, they'd get in trouble. It shouldn't take an experienced truck wreck attorney to see how forcing drivers to choose between being a safe driver and putting food on their family's table is a recipe for disaster.
In a situation like that, simply charging, citing, or otherwise pinning all of the blame on one person isn't good enough. Between the hundreds of families I've helped following commercial vehicle wrecks, they almost always wanted the same thing: to know those responsible for their hardships were being held fully accountable. That requires thorough investigations that police investigations alone, quite frankly, don't often accomplish. The question, then, is if steps are being taken here to ensure the right professionals are looking into things and getting this man's loved ones the answers they deserve.
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