1 Killed in Kingstree, SC, Log Truck Accident on Highway 52
Kingstree, SC -- January 25, 2017, a man was killed as the result of an accident where his car ran into a log truck that was backing out onto Highway 52.
According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the fatal collision occurred around 6:40 a.m. along Highway 52.
Just south of Cade Road, a log truck that was not carrying any load was attempting to back out of a private driveway onto southbound lanes of the highway. A
Map of the Area
Commentary
Some folks will read about an accident like this and ask, "Why would an 18-wheeler ever back into a highway?" While I understand the sentiment, the fact is that there are a lot of places that truckers have to go in order to make pick-ups and deliveries that were never designed with truck drivers in mind. Does this mean that truck drivers are never at fault when maneuvering in these tight spaces? Of course not. Situations like these aren't black and white.
Trucks are vital to our commerce. If a truck can't get there, the likelihood is that people are going to have a tough time making a living. There has to be some compromise between banning trucks from areas that are dangerous for them to travel and the carnage that would result from giving drivers carte blanche to engage in dangerous behavior. Luckily, there is and the trucking industry is already aware of the solution to this dilemma.
In many instances where trucking companies know that they will have a pick-up or delivery in a dangerous area, they send along a second driver to act as a flagger. The flagger stands in the roadway to alert traffic that an 18-wheeler is about to execute a dangerous maneuver. This warning permits drivers to adjust accordingly and drive more cautiously. Flaggers work. They prevent accidents, save lives, and save trucking companies and their insurers countless dollars.
Why wouldn't every trucking company send along a flagger when they have to make a delivery on a dangerous stretch of road? The answer is money. They have to pay a driver to essentially ride along, perform a task for a few minutes, then do nothing again for the rest of the trip. Some companies, who don't value safety as much as they should, focus on what they would have to pay the flagger, not the damage that dangerous maneuvers in an 18-wheeler can inflict. The cost of paying for those damages never enters the equation, because trucking accidents are things that happen to other companies, not them. This thinking is short-sighted and while it may save a company a few bucks on the front end, it almost always ends up costing them more money after a serious accident occurs.
When a commercial fails to take proper precautions when executing a maneuver like this, they are putting other drivers at risk of serious harm. I've seen too many accidents happen because an 18-wheeler either did too little or entirely neglected to warn other drivers. When this happens, those negligent drivers need to be held accountable for their actions. When someone is injured or killed due to improper use of a commercial vehicle, victims and their families are entitled to compensation for their pains.
--Grossman Law Offices
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