James Anthony Vitale Killed in Accident in Tioga Twp., PA
Tioga Twp., PA -- A crash involving a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck claimed the life of 65-year-old James Anthony Vitale Monday, July 17, 2017.
The crash took place on Route 15 around 1:45 a.m. It appears a semi-truck occupied by 44-year-old Norbert Rodriguez was parked on the right shoulder next to the northbound lane.
For unclear reasons, the vehicle occupied by Mr. Vitale collided with the truck, killing Mr. Vitale at the scene of the incident.
Local authorities are investigating the scene of the incident in an effort to determine the exact cause.
More information may be forthcoming as the investigation concludes.
map of the area
Commentary
Regarding the facts in the early report, this may seem like an open and shut case. However, there are a few key pieces of information missing from the report that could have real world consequences for the victim's family.
Considering the late hour, was the driver of the truck parked to catch a little extra sleep after a long overnight haul? If so, this would present a problem as federal law requires trucks to park on the shoulder of a highway for emergency purposes only. Federal law also requires trucks parked on the shoulder of the highway to place flares and reflective triangles to warn other motorists of their presence. Did the truck driver place adequate hazard warnings outside the truck? Was the flatbed trailer jutting out into the roadway?
Until we conduct an in-depth, scientific investigation into this accident, we have no way of knowing if any of these scenarios applies. No matter the outcome, it's best to properly scrutinize the facts before jumping to conclusions.
--Grossman Law Offices
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