9-year-old Killed, 3 Injured in Truck Accident on M-39 in Southfield, MI
Southfield, MI -- December 6, 2022, a 9-year-old was killed and three people were hurt due to an accident involving a commercial truck.
Authorities responded to the area of Highway 39 and 8 Mile Road at around 7:40 p.m. It appears a passenger vehicle was traveling along the highway on a flat tire trying to get to a nearby exit. The car reportedly had its hazards on.
Approaching it, a commercial truck somehow did not slow down in time and hit the car. Due to this, a 9-year-old boy in the car sustained fatal injuries. Two others in the car, a woman and a juvenile, had injuries of unspecified severity. The truck driver's injuries were said to be non-life-threatening.
Right now, additional details about the crash are unavailable.
Commentary on 9-year-old Killed in Truck Accident on M-39 in Southfield
It's incredibly concerning to see that authorities believe the victims' vehicle had its hazards on. Usually, that means an attentive driver would be able to see and avoid the vehicle. There could be extenuating circumstances the truck driver couldn't avoid, but steps should be taken as soon as possible to dig for clear evidence that definitively shed light on what happened. A crash I handled not long ago was proof enough of that.
In that situation, a trucking company was denying responsibility for a similar crash in which they claimed the victim's car was too dark and couldn't possibly have been avoided. Well, thanks to thorough independent investigations, we obtained court orders to pull video from the truck. It clearly showed that the victim's car was visible and fart enough away. The truck driver was simply too busy watching shows on his tablet to look at the road.
I'm not saying that happened here, but those independent steps can often catch vital details authorities alone typically overlook. Are steps being taken here to ensure the victim's loved ones are getting all of the information they need to ensure there are appropriate consequences?
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