18-Wheeler Crashes off Blue Route Overpass, Driver Injured in Plymouth Township, PA
Plymouth Township, PA — December 22, 2022, a truck driver was injured after his tractor-trailer fell off a Blue Route overpass in Plymouth Township.
Authorities released few specifics about the incident but said it happened Thursday on the Blue Route (Interstate 476) above Chemical Road. Preliminary investigation suggests only that the victim's big rig was traveling on the overpass when they lost control for unknown reasons. The truck veered out of its lane, crashed through a guard rail, and fell from the overpass to Chemical Road below.
The driver suffered serious injuries in the crash.
The investigation continues. No further information is currently available.
Experience has taught me that people tend to look at a single-vehicle accident and blame the operator. That's just as true after 18-wheeler wrecks as it is with civilian vehicles like cars or motorcycles; fingers are quickly pointed at common driver mistakes like falling asleep, taking their eyes off the road to look at a phone, or speeding in bad road or weather conditions, just to name a few.
To be clear, I'm not accusing the truck driver of any of those. As a matter of fact, I often write about the urgent need for careful and thorough investigations to be sure fingers are not unfairly pointed. There are still plenty of ways a wreck like this might actually be out of the driver's hands, and if so it certainly wouldn't be fair to blame them. All the possibilities deserve careful investigation to learn the truth, so until that happens it's best to reserve judgment and instead focus on how best to help the victim.
