One Injured in Semi-Truck Accident on I-70 in Lewisburg, OH
Lewisburg, OH -- July 12, 2022, one person was injured in due to an accident where a car collided with a semi-truck on I-70.
In initial reports, officials said that the crash took place at around 11:45 p.m. along I-70 in the area of Arlington Road.
According to authorities, a cow was on the interstate when a westbound semi-truck hit it. The truck's brakes locked up when slowing down. While this remains unconfirmed, reports suggest that a car then rear-ended the truck.
There was one injury reported following the crash. This and other details about the crash are unavailable at this time.
Commentary on Semi-Truck, Cow Accident on I-70 in Lewisburg
Folks may see that this began with an animal in the road and assume there's nothing anyone could have done. But things aren't always so simple, which is why thorough independent investigations are always important.
For one, the events immediately following the collision with the cow aren't really clear. If there was an ensuing collision with a car, how avoidable was that crash? Was the car following too closely or going too fast? Did the truck swerve into the car's lane trying to avoid the cow? Was the truck poorly lit and stopped in a lane of travel? Depending on the answers, the cow may not be the most serious problem surrounding this crash.
Additionally, though, that cow can also present unique legal consequences depending on certain factors. Here in Texas, for example, many places will hold livestock owners liable for an accident like this if they failed to look for or address hazards on the property which allowed an animal to escape and get onto the road. A fence blowing down in a storm is one thing, but leaving a gate open or failing to mend a fence that is a known issue means a resulting crash was entirely avoidable.
However, not every state has the same laws concerning such matters, and the crash happening on an interstate could complicate things further. Whatever ultimately happened here, getting answers for those involved may require a lot more than just a simple police report.
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