Ronald Sanders Jr., Ja-Katelyn Cox, Joslyn Glenn Killed in Blue Springs, MS, Truck Accident
Blue Springs, MS -- January 4, 2017, Three children, identified as Ronald Sanders Jr., Ja-Katelyn Cox, and Joslyn Glenn, were killed in a truck accident.
Mississippi State Police responded to the two-vehicle accident scene at around 11:30 p.m. It occurred along I-22, just outside of Blue Springs.
According to preliminary investigations, 28-year-old Ronald Sanders was traveling eastbound in an Acura. In his vehicle was Ronald Jr., 11 months, Cox, 2-years-old, and Glenn, 9 months, were passengers in his vehicle.
Reports are still unclear, but it was reported that Sanders's vehicle was either slowed or stopped in traffic lanes when it was struck from behind by an 18-wheeler.
The crash was severe, causing Cox and Glenn to die at the scene of the crash. Ronald Jr. died later on at a hospital. Sanders and another adult passenger, Kentura Fleming, were sent to North Mississippi Medical Center for treatment of critical injuries.
The truck driver, Steven Dillard, was not injured. It's unclear if any charges or citations were filed.
Investigations are ongoing.
Map of the Area
Commentary
This truly is a terrible accident, and it hurts to see so many like it occur nearly every day. Unfortunately for people who would want to know more about this accident, reports seem to offer little information, and some of it contradicts itself. I have seen some reports that seem to indicate that Sanders rear-ended the semi, not the other way around, and it's hard to tell if the news outlets got this information from somewhere or just accidentally switched the names around. Either way, clearly further, more extensive investigations need to be conducted.
One of the problems here is that early accident reports are often missing crucial pieces of information and even make mistakes on the facts. As a result, people can be misled about what actually occurred in an accident. With truck accidents, this creates a significant when the accident in question is an 18-wheeler. As grim as it may sound, the simple reason for this is because trucking companies have a lot of money at stake when people are killed or seriously injured due to their driver's negligence.
One of the most common ways that trucking companies attempt to do this is by shifting blame onto the victims. For example, not long ago there was an accident out of Louisiana where early reports said that a woman was driving along the highway and crossed over the center line. As a result, her vehicle went underneath the rear axle of an oncoming 18-wheeler, killing her. Nothing odd about that; that sort of thing, tragic as it is, happens all the time. However, once the accident was investigated further, evidence at the scene told a different story. It turned out that the 18-wheeler actually came into a curve a bit too fast, causing the trailer to partially fishtail into oncoming lanes. The woman didn't have enough time to react, and she was killed in the crash.
In this accident, we can see how early reports essentially offer trucking companies excuses and routes to avoid liability. Sometimes trucking companies even create their own confusion in police reports to try and get official reports to tip the balance in their favor. Like I said, they have a lot to lose. Even when there are multiple victims, even if people are killed, trucking companies and their insurance companies will often fight to avoid paying compensation.
No matter what the accident, it is always necessary to ensure thorough, independent investigations are conducted. The simple fact that early news reports and police reports are unreliable gives trucking companies and negligent drivers possible excuses they can use to shift blame off themselves. By having an experienced professional examine and collect evidence, trucking companies and their insurers can make as many excuses as they want; in the end, the evidence will speak for itself. Whether it's too the insurance adjusters or to a civil trial jury, if the facts are given a chance to talk, then the victims can even scales and have a fair shot at holding negligent truck drivers accountable for their actions.
--Grossman Law Offices
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