David Wayne Hubbard Killed in Yell Co., AR, 18-wheeler Accident
Yell County, AR -- January 24, 2017, David Wayne Hubbard was killed following an accident in which his vehicle and an 18-wheeler collided head-on.
The Arkansas State Police released a preliminary accident report concerning the fatal crash. Troopers say it occurred around 2:15 p.m. just south of the town of Dardanelle.
The report states that Hubbard was traveling northbound on Highway 7 in a Chevy Cobalt. As he did so, his vehicle reportedly crossed over the center line into the path of a southbound 18-wheeler. The two vehicles crashed into each other nearly head-on.
As a result of the collision, Hubbard suffered fatal injuries. He died at the scene. No additional injuries were reported.
At this time, authorities have not released any additional details. Their investigations are ongoing.
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Commentary
When it comes to accidents like these, a very common thing I see is that people aren't entirely aware of how police reports relate to liability following an accident. Most people will see this police report, which says, "V2 crossed the center line," and take this as the ultimate decider of liability. They'll read the police report and say the victim was a fault. The truth is that police reports are not in the business of determining liability after an accident.
When police investigate an accident, they are typically only looking for criminal offenses which they can charge. Other than that, a police report is mostly just the general impressions the investigating officer has regarding the fact pattern. Sometimes, accidents are pretty straight-forward and the reports are pretty accurate. A lot of times--and any experienced truck accident attorney can tell you this--there are many details that might be mistaken or entirely missing.
Here's an example. I saw a case out of Louisiana not long ago where the police report said a woman driving a car crossed the center line and went under the rear axle of an 18-wheeler. Further investigations revealed that the 18-wheeler actually took a curve too fast, and the trailer whipped out into the woman's lane, causing the crash. This is something the police report never updated or mentioned to begin with. As a result, anyone reading the police report might assume the report was accurate.
There are many instances where this has been the case. It isn't necessarily the police investigator's fault considering it's not really their job to determine liability. That's why it's always imperative that anyone affected by a truck accident ensures that thorough private investigation is conducted.
By conducting an investigation outside of the police, people can acquire the support of an industry professional who specializes in examining all possible factors of an accident. This guarantees that any missing details are brought to light, inaccurate information is corrected, and all details discovered are collected and preserved for future use.
Sometimes private investigations reveal new information that changes the landscape of an accident; sometimes they simply confirm police reports. Either way, anyone affected by a truck accident deserves to know all of the information surrounding the incident. Whether that investigation allows them to pursue compensation or simply gives them the full account of what happened, the path forward can't be taken until the full story is told.
--Grossman Law Offices
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