Driver Injured in 18-wheeler, Van Accident on US 17 in Brunswick County, NC
Brunswick County, NC -- January 31, 2023, one person was injured due to an accident where an 18-wheeler and a van crashed on US 17.
Initial details released by police officials say the incident happened in the area of US Highway 17 and Zion Church Road. Their statements said that a van was traveling along southbound lanes when an oncoming 18-wheeler crossed the center line and hit the van.
Due to the collision, one person in the van had injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. No other injuries were reported. It appears charges may be pending, but specifics aren't currently clear.
Considering some of the more common reasons a truck may cross the center line, it wouldn't be surprising if charges followed what happened here. Cell phone usage, speeding, poor maintenance, intoxication, driving over hours of service limits—there are plenty of mistakes experienced truckers avoid on a daily basis, but some drivers slip up trying to cut corners or simply due to sheer negligence.
Could it be that there won't be charges, and the cause of this crash was entirely unpredictable and unusual? Certainly. I'm not suggesting ignoring those possibilities. It's simply that folks tend to take statements from authorities for granted when there should still be efforts made to get evidence into the hands of the victims and families. Charges or not, they need to be able to tell their side of the story, and it's difficult to do that without the facts on their side.
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