Nadia Anderson Killed, Pamela Wolfgang Injured in Hillsborough County, FL, Accident
Hillsborough County, FL -- January 19, 2017, Nadia Anderson was killed, Pamela Wolfgang injured, following an 18-wheeler accident.
19-year-old Anderson was driving a Saturn northbound on I-75 just north of New Tampa at around 6:00 p.m. For reasons unclear, traffic had come to a slowdown on the highway. As she waited in traffic, a northbound tractor-trailer failed to stop in time, crashing into the line of cars. Anderson's vehicle was the first one hit.
Her vehicle went forward and crashed into 47-year-old Wolfgang's Toyota van. The vehicles then collided with two other cars ahead of them.
As a result of the collision, Anderson suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. Wolfgang had only minor injuries and was taken to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel for treatment. No other injuries were reported.
Authorities did not report any citations or charges resulting from the fatal collision. They say the crash remains under investigation.
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Commentary
Reports are not exactly clear on what caused this accident, but in most accidents where an 18-wheeler rear-ends a line of cars, it happened because the truck driver failed to adjust their speed accordingly. The details released by authorities certainly seem to indicate this may have been the case. There are a lot of different possibilities that could have happened, but let's look at the common scenarios.
Our firm has handled hundreds of truck accidents over nearly three decades. In almost all of the accidents where an 18-wheeler rear-ended another vehicle, the truck driver either wasn't paying attention to the road or was driving at high speeds when they shouldn't have been. All drivers owe the general public to pay attention to the road and drive safely at all times. However, this duty is even more significant for those who drive commercial vehicles.
An 18-wheeler can weigh up to 40 tons, so when it hits something, it hits hard. 18-wheelers requires hundreds of feet to come to a stop at highway speeds, and they're not exactly easy to maneuver in a pinch. For this reason, truck drivers must ensure they adjust their speed according to the conditions of the road. If it's raining or icy, then slow down. If traffic is becoming heavy, increase following distance and pay attention to the surrounding drivers. It's easy for anyone to have a lapse in judgement or attention, but with commercial vehicles, mistakes like this can be fatal.
Whatever happened in this case, the reports lead me to believe the truck driver should have had plenty of time to react to traffic on the roadway ahead. Unless some extenuating circumstances left him with little time to react, then chances are the truck driver was behaving negligently. When someone is hurt or killed by a negligent truck driver, then the victims and their families can seek fair compensation for their pains and hold negligent truck drivers accountable for their actions.
--Grossman Law Offices
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