Darin Moeller Killed, Bobby Bonds Injured in Logan County, AR, Accident
Logan County, AR -- February 27, 2017, Darin Lee Moeller was killed and Bobby Eugene Bonds was injured after their 18-wheeler crashed.
According to reports released by the Arkansas State Police, the accident happened around 4:28 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 23 and Highway 22.
The preliminary accident report indicates that 45-year-old Moeller was traveling northbound on Highway 23 in a 2016 Freightliner. He entered the intersection of Highway 22, crossing paths with 48-year-old Bonds, who was westbound in a 2002 Peterbuilt. This resulted in a collision between the two trucks.
The collision somehow caused Moeller's trailer to tip over onto the cab of his vehicle. As a result, he died at the scene. Bonds was injured in the crash and taken to Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith. His condition was not specified.
Authorities did not say what caused the crash. Their investigations are ongoing.
Map of the Area
Commentary
Looking at the intersection where this occurred, it would seem that north and southbound Highway 23 have a stop sign. This tells me that the likely scenario is that Moeller's truck either ran the stop sign or didn't see Bonds's vehicle before crossing, leading to the accident. Whether or not this was Mr. Moeller's fault, there's no way to say for sure. I can only work with whatever information the police report has provided, which as usual isn't very much.
Police reports are usually okay for determining a basic fact pattern, but they hardly do justice to an accident like this one. Police may be experienced with accident scenes, but they're far from being truck mechanics. Chances are an investigating officer won't be able to tell if something like brake failure caused an accident, especially if the one it happened to didn't survive the crash. The only to determine the more subtle factors contributing to an accident is have an independent professional look over the evidence.
A 3rd Party Investigation is a necessary component after any accident, especially a commercial truck accident. With such complicated machines and so many possible causes, it takes a dedicated expert to sift through all the details. By doing this, those affected by the accident have the best chance at finding peace of mind after a crash. Not only does an investigation like this help in a where compensation is possible, but it is also the best method for figuring out the truth of what occurred.
Like I said before, we can sit here and speculate about what happened in this accident, but that doesn't do anyone any good. The best thing to do is ensure all investigations are thorough, and the best way to do that is through a 3rd party professional. The article below is good further reading for why 3rd Party Investigations are the best way to follow any kind of accident.
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--Grossman Law Offices
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