18-Wheeler Hits Disabled Big Rig on I-10, Three Injured in Walton County, FL
Walton County, FL — December 13, 2022, three people were injured when a tractor-trailer hit a disabled semi on the side of Interstate 10 in Walton County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 10:35 p.m. on I-10 near mile marker 70. Preliminary investigation suggests a westbound big rig drifted off the side of the road for unknown reasons and crashed into a second semi-truck that was disabled on the right shoulder. After the impact the striking truck continued west and its cab detached from the frame.
The striking truck's 31-year-old driver and two people in the disabled truck, a 64-year-old man and 29-year-old woman, were seriously injured in the crash. All three were transported to area hospitals.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on I-10 Truck Accident in Walton County
After an accident like this folks might quickly assume the driver who hit the disabled big rig did something wrong. That's quite possible, and police seem to be leaning that direction as they mentioned the driver who drifted off the road "operated in a careless manner." Hopefully they'll take the time to learn exactly why he drifted off the road, but what if there's more to the story that police didn't catch?
Tempted as some may be to just blame driver mistakes like watching a phone instead of the road, there are plenty of other possible factors that should be investigated here. Did the striking truck have mechanical problems or defects that sent it off the road? Did it lose traction on standing water or debris? Did the driver swerve suddenly to avoid another vehicle? Was the disabled truck entirely on the shoulder or was it partially in a travel lane? Were both trucks built to sufficient standards to keep their drivers as safe as possible in a crash?
Put simply, early reports rarely if ever show the full picture. Zooming out and looking at the bigger picture, including finding the less-obvious details and considering all the possible contributing elements, may be a job better suited to experienced independent investigators. Crashes between commercial vehicles are inevitably complicated, and getting the clear facts about what happened is one of the best ways to handle that.
