Driving a tractor trailer requires focus and concentration. The size and weight of the vehicles can make them dangerous weapons if mishandled. Truck accidents can cause tremendous damage, injury and often loss of life. It is easy for any New York driver to become distracted while driving, but operating a tractor trailer while impaired may be a disaster waiting to happen.
Early one recent morning, a tractor trailer driver caused an accident on a local interstate. His vehicle drifted off the highway and across a wide median into the opposite lane. The truck heading north in the southbound lane collided with another tractor trailer. The two trucks came to rest in the middle of the interstate, causing a four-hour traffic backup. The driver of the other truck was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.
Investigators determined that the driver who veered off the road was impaired behind the wheel. A gram of crystal methamphetamine was found on the 36-year-old man. He was arrested for felony second-degree vehicular assault and reckless endangerment in addition to driving while under the influence of drugs and other related charges.
Although reports say the injuries suffered by the driver of the other vehicle were not life threatening, that does not necessarily mean his injuries were not serious. He is likely to have medical bills to deal with after his release from the hospital. Additionally, as a trucker in New York, time off the road could impact him financially. In situations like this, victims of truck accidents may decide to contact an attorney who will fight to recover damages.
Source: pressconnects.com, “TRUCK CRASH: Man on drugs crashed tractor trailer, police say”, Anthony Borrelli, Aug. 8, 2016