Injuries Reported in 18-Wheeler Accident on US-74 in Monroe, NC
Monroe, NC — December 12, 2022, injuries were reported after a tractor-trailer ran a red light and hit another vehicle on U.S. Highway 74 in Monroe.
Authorities say the incident happened just before 7:00 a.m. on US-74 at John Moores Road. Preliminary investigation suggests the 18-wheeler was eastbound on the highway when the driver allegedly ran a red light and collided with a passenger vehicle in the John Moores intersection. After the impact the truck left the road and overturned in a parking lot, spilling its load of meat products onto the blacktop.
The truck driver and the other vehicle's driver reportedly received minor injuries. The trucker was cited for running a red light.
The investigation continues. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Truck Accident on US-74 in Monroe
If the truck driver really ran a light and triggered the wreck, most probably feel there's not a lot more to say about fault. However, almost no commercial truck accident ties up that neatly and the victim would likely need clear and indisputable proof of what happened if he sought help with their injuries. Without it, they'd likely find out the trucking company had no intention of accepting liability without a fight--especially in North Carolina, where the state's own laws are heavily weighted on their side.
That talk of careful investigation and trucking company stubbornness may seem mostly academic here if reports have their facts straight and the only injuries involved were minor. I hope that's accurate, but I also know that injuries thought to be minor at the time can develop into something much worse down the line. Not long ago a client's supposed "sore back" after being rear-ended by a big rig turned out to be a ruptured spinal disk that needed major surgery and lengthy rehab; if he had taken preliminary reports at their word he might not have had what he needed to get the trucking company's assistance.
I hope nothing like that happens after this accident and there's no particular reason to think it will. However, the possibility that things aren't quite what they seem is one of the reasons I always tell folks they need to take every truck wreck seriously--even if injuries seems minimal. At worst the victim is overprepared and no action is necessary, which is always better than the opposite.
