A truck accident occurred in North Carolina involving a pickup truck and a commercial garbage truck that hit head on. The accident took place on Interstate 40 eastbound at mile marker 309 near U.S. Route 70. The crash was reported just before 5 a.m. and lanes were closed starting at exit 306. All eastbound lanes were closed through the morning commute and finally reopened around 9:40 a.m.
The police who responded to the crash believe that an eastbound pickup driver went across a median and struck the trash vehicle while it was going westbound. This is a result of either a high rate of speed or intoxication. The investigation of the crash is still under review.
Both of the trucks caught on fire after they made contact from the impact of the accident. The fire engulfed both vehicles and required the neighborhood fire department to put it out. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol maintained the area which was shut down for roughly four hours while emergency crews worked to try to rescue the victims as well as to clear the area.
Shortly after the collision, the medical team pronounced both drivers of the vehicles dead. They likely died from the initial impact of the accident, but a full examination of the victims cause of death is pending. The names of the two males who passed away were not shared with the public in order to give their families privacy during this time. Pictures from the scene revealed the front of the waste management vehicle shattered inward at the point of the collision.
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If you or someone you care about has been in a crash involving an 18-wheeler, you know how steeply the odds are stacked against you. A fully-loaded rig can weigh up to 80,000 pounds — easily 20 times heavier than a typical passenger vehicle. Fatalities in big-rig accidents are roughly double those for passenger vehicles — and for a reason. The extra mass of the truck translates into immense force that can crush almost anything, or anyone, in its path.
The Truck Accident Lawyers are not afraid to go after these truckers, their employers and their insurance companies. We want to make sure you get the compensation you need to pay your medical bills, rehabilitation costs, future medical care and any other damages to your person or property. Put simply, we do not take “no” for an answer.
Please, contact us today for a free consultation.
