The dangers of operating a vehicle while drunk cannot be overstated. Any type of car or truck can do significant damage if a driver loses control because he or she is impaired. However, when the vehicle is an enormous tractor trailer, the consequences of a drunk driving crash are often catastrophic.
This was the tragic message taken away from a devastating truck crash in Georgia. Being impaired can dramatically affect a person’s decision-making capabilities when they are operating a vehicle. In fact, it illustrates the fact that you don’t even need to have your foot on the gas pedal to be a danger to other motorists.
According to reports, a truck driver who was allegedly intoxicated had stopped his rig and was performing a maintenance check on Joe Frank Harris Parkway. While he was outside the truck, which was hauling hazardous materials, the truck started rolling away down the hill.
Police believe that the trucker failed to set the emergency brakes or the brakes may have failed somehow and that is why the semi rolled down the hill. The truck ultimately crashed into a vehicle carrying a family of four, trapping them all inside. A man and two children were seriously injured while the children’s mother was killed in the accident.
Reports indicate that the truck driver is suspected of being drunk at the time of the accident and this could explain a failure to set the brakes properly to keep the truck in place.
Drunk driving limits are lower for drivers of commercial vehicles because of the fact that these vehicles can be more difficult to operate and require additional training. If the trucker in this accident had a blood alcohol concentration higher than 0.04 percent, he may face criminal charges for his actions. However, victims of these types of accidents and their families should also remember that they have the option of pursuing a civil lawsuit against a drunk commercial vehicle driver.
Anyone who has been injured or lost a loved one in a truck accident is urged to speak with an attorney about the legal options available. If a trucker was drunk, distracted or fatigued, he or she can be held accountable for the damages that resulted from the crash.
Source: WSB-TV, “Woman killed after tractor trailer overturns on family’s car,” Aug. 14, 2015
