No two motor vehicle accidents occur under identical circumstances. Yet in many truck accidents, the 18-wheeler’s driver fails to notice a smaller vehicle and the outcome is usually bleak for the other driver. However, the apparent cause for a recent two-vehicle accident in Ohio strays from the typical narrative.
A 19-year-old man was driving his pickup truck on a rural road and encountered an intersection. The young man failed to stop as directed and struck a tractor-trailer, setting in motion a treacherous turn of events. Both vehicles left the road, coming to rest in a nearby corn field.
The tanker truck’s driver was severely injured and was airlifted to the nearest medical facility. Medical professionals expect him to survive; however, the 19-year-old driver was not so lucky. Emergency service workers pronounced the young man dead at the site of the incident.
While gathering evidence to determine the cause of the crash, Ohio State Highway Patrol officers found three stop signs in the young man’s vehicle. They suspect he had removed the signs from nearby intersections just before the fatal accident occurred.
At this point, law enforcement officials have not declared an official cause of the accident, but the evidence in the report suggests the 19-year-old driver’s failure to stop was the primary reason the accident occurred.
Under Ohio’s personal injury laws, individuals are allowed to file suit against another person’s estate after their passing. If a person can demonstrate that the deceased party acted with negligence, they may be able to recover expenses relating to the accident, including medical costs and lost wages. Understanding that this type of scenario can be complicated, it may be helpful to determine your legal rights and responsibilities in the wake of a motor vehicle accident.
Source:
- ABC 5 News, “Norwalk man dies during crash, troopers find stolen stop signs in truck bed,” Jen Steer, Sept. 24, 2012
- Our firm is familiar with the intricacies of Ohio’s personal injury laws, including those governing tractor-trailer accidents. To find out more, see our Cleveland truck accident injury page.