Worker Injured in Truck Accident on Highway 169 in Bloomington, MN
Bloomington, MN -- July 6, 2022, a worker was injured as the result of an accident where a semi-truck crashed into a boom lift.
Investigators reported that the crash took place at around 6:30 p.m. along Highway 169 at Old Shakopee Road.
According to reports, officials said that a tree trimmer was in a boom lift on a truck along the side of the road. EWhile there, a passing semi-truck reportedly hit the lift elbow, causing the worker to fall to the ground.
The worker, identified only as a 33-year-old Minneapolis man, reportedly had critical injuries. The truck driver was not hurt. Investigations are ongoing at this time.
Commentary on Boom Truck Accident on Highway 169 in Bloomington
Generally speaking, seeing a commercial truck hit something that is likely stationary and highly visible is concerning. But simply put, we don't really have all the facts here. It could be that the boom arm was sticking out dangerously over the road. It may have been impeding traffic. There may have been some reason visibility issues prevented the truck driver from seeing the lift. It seems more likely, though, that the truck driver wasn't paying attention or wasn't aware enough of their surroundings. Making sure there are thorough investigations will no doubt be crucial going forward.
I can't help thinking back to a situation I handled a while ago in which a truck driver who had almost zero awareness of his surroundings caused a serious wreck. As usual, we made sure there were thorough investigations into things including the driver's record and their training qualifications. Well, it turned out the guy barely had any training at all. His employer essentially hired him without any experience, rushed him through vital safety lessons, and tossed him the keys without actually giving him the tools he needed to safely operate a commercial truck. Any respectable trucker can speak to just how reckless that is. It was only a matter of time before he got himself or someone else seriously hurt.
I'm not saying that happened here, of course, but it's one of the reasons I tell folks never to take the facts for granted. It often takes independent investigations to truly bring the full story to light. Only then can steps be taken to ensure folks are getting as much help as they can. Are those steps being taken here?
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