Joseph Burnette & Joshua Wheeler Killed, Three Hurt in Truck Accident in Baton Rouge, LA
Baton Rouge, LA -- An accident involving a tractor-trailer claimed the lives of Joseph Burnette and Joshua Wheeler and injured one person on January 10, 2017.
Officials say an initial head-on collision on I-110 left Mr. Wheeler hospitalized. Following the crash, Mr. Burnette exited his vehicle and attempted to assist in the rescue effort. At some point, a tractor-trailer passing the scene of the incident, collided with the vehicles from the initial crash, pinning Mr. Burnette between two of the vehicles.
Officials say a third person was left with undisclosed injuries in the incident.
Mr. Wheeler, the injured victim in the first crash, later succumbed to his injuries.
The official investigation is ongoing and may reveal more details as it concludes.
map of the area
Commentary
Considering the alleged time of the incident, what are the chances the driver of the semi-truck was at the tail end of an overnight haul? It seems to me the details would indicate the driver of the semi was traveling fast enough to avoid the collision, or at the very least, was somehow distracted enough to not recognize multiple disabled vehicles left in the roadway. Based upon my experience, I feel it will take far more than a police report to determine the cause of this accident. How do we know the collected evidence supports the story given to authorities? I have seen far too many drivers giving false information to reply upon police reports alone. What I can say for certain, is there is no way to know all the details until a thorough, independent investigation has been conducted.
-- Grossman Law Offices