On June 18, 2008, a tractor-trailer truck accident in Minnesota injured four people and caused cargo to crash onto Interstate 35. Now, the company that owns the truck may face fines.

The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating whether the truck’s brakes were properly maintained, and the agency has said it appears that the tractor-trailer truck was overweight and wider than allowed by law. Whether the company had a permit to transport 50-tons of equipment is also being investigated.

Another issue is why the tractor-trailer truck involved in the truck accident was driving on Interstate 35, a road known as the “Can of Worms.” The section of road the driver was on has an 80-thousand pound weight limit, which must be evenly distributed.

One of the victims in the commercial truck accident suffered from a skull fracture, and another was pregnant. Four people were transported to area hospitals.

Source: “Trucking Company In Wednesday’s Accident Facing Potential Fines,” Northland News Center, June 19, 2008.

On June 23, 2008, an elderly couple was seriously injured in a commercial truck accident in Pennsylvania. The tractor-trailer truck, hauling 7-Up soda products, was accelerating to climb Route 366 when it ran a red light, hitting a station wagon carrying a couple in their mid-80s.

The woman was listed in serious condition at an area hospital, and her husband was listed in critical condition.

Authorities have charged the tractor-trailer truck driver with going through a red light for his involvement in the tractor-trailer truck accident.

Source: Chuck Biedka, “Couple seriously injured after tractor-trailer runs red light,” Valley News Dispatch, June 24, 2008.

On November 3, 2007, a car accident in Fresno, California during a morning of heavy fog caused a chain reaction involving 92 vehicles. The car accidents caused two deaths. The suspected drunk driver who has been accused of causing the car accidents will not be charged for the deaths, but a tanker truck driver will be charged with vehicular manslaughter in the death of a 5-year-old boy.

The tractor-trailer truck accident was the final accident in the chain reaction. The tanker truck rear-ended a car in which the 5-year-old boy, who was properly secured in a child’s seat, was a passenger. Authorities said the driver of the truck was traveling about 45 miles-per-hour, more than twice the recommended speed of travel during heavy fog. The tanker truck driver faces a maximum of one year in jail.

The man suspected of setting off the car accidents and truck accidents was identified as a 61-year-old man who had a blood-alcohol level of 0.24, three times the legal driving limit of 0.08. He will be charged with driving under the influence with injury, DUI with a presumptive blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher and a misdemeanor count of driving at an unsafe speed. He faces a maximum of three years in prison.

Source: David Castellon, “2 to be charged in fatal pileup on Hwy. 99,” Visalia Times Delta, June 24, 2008.

On June 24, 2008, a 21-year-old woman was driving her five-year-old son in a tractor-trailer truck filled with sod on U.S. Route 27 in Minneola, Florida. She was driving behind a dump truck when the dump truck made an improper turn, causing a commercial truck accident.

The woman and her son were both ejected from the semi-truck, and the sod was spilled onto the highway. While the dump truck driver went to check on the boy and his mother, another car hit the boy.

Authorities said the driver of the car, an 18-year-old woman, may face charges of driving under the influence (DWI) after they performed a blood alcohol test. The driver of the semi-truck and her son were airlifted to an area hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the dump truck involved in the truck accident did not suffer from any injuries. The tractor-trailer truck accident is under investigation.

Source: “2 Hurt After Semi Hits Dump Truck,” CFNews13.com, June 24, 2008.

On June 18, 2008, an on-duty police officer was driving on U.S. 231 in Pell City, Alabama, when a tractor-trailer truck hit the driver’s side of the patrol car. The police officer was seriously injured in the truck accident, and was airlifted to an area hospital with injuries requiring surgery.

Authorities are not releasing an official cause of the tractor-trailer truck accident, though Alabama State Troopers are investigating.

Source: David Atchison, “Alabama officer sideswiped by tractor trailer,” Officer.com, June 19, 2008.

On June 19, 2008, a Harrisonburg, California judge found a truck driver guilty of reckless driving in a February 2008 tractor-trailer truck accident that killed a married couple on Interstate 81. The 33-year-old truck driver was sentenced to a 90-day suspended jail sentence and a $1,000 fine, as well as having his license revoked for six months.

The man was driving a tractor-trailer truck on Interstate 81 when it crossed the median and hit a van carrying a couple from Buffalo, New York. The driver of the van was killed instantly in the commercial truck accident, and his wife died after being transported to an area hospital.

Source: Pete DeLea, “Driver guilty in fatal I-81 wreck,” The Daily News Records, June 20, 2008.

On June 12, 2008, a 54-year-old man indicted in a fatal tractor-trailer truck accident turned himself into Virginia authorities. The man faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving for his role in the truck accident, which killed a 16-year-old girl.

The man was driving a tractor-trailer truck north on U.S. 29 on May 9, 2008, when he ran a red light. As the truck entered the intersection, it hit a car driven by the 16-year-old girl, who was pronounced dead on the scene of the truck accident. The truck driver was not injured.

If convicted on both charges, the man faces up to 11 years in jail and a $2,500 fine. He is scheduled to appear in court on August 4, 2008.

Source: “Trucker in fatal U.S. 29 crash turns himself in, posts bail,” DailyProgress.com, June 13, 2008.

New Social Security Administration data has found that women are more likely than men to experience a long-term disability, and more than half of them are not prepared for the financial burden associated with disability.

Disability rates for working women in the United States has grown more than 60 percent in the last decade, compared to 32 percent for working men. Should an accident on injury leave them unable to work, half of those women are unprepared to cover living expenses for three months or more.

Normally, there are other resources to rely on if a paycheck is not coming in, such as credit cards and home mortgages. But the current economy creates more challenges, as the housing market is collapsing and household credit card debts average $10,000.

The Council for Disability Awareness is encouraging women to prepare financially for a long-term disability in order to curb serious future financial consequences. For more information, visit disabilitycanhappen.org.

Source: “Economy woes often worse for women workers,” New Hampshire Sentinel Source, July 10, 2008.

On June 12, 2008, a 38-year-old motorcyclist from Dallas, Texas was on his lunch break at a traffic light when a tractor-trailer truck reversed to allow room for another truck to turn, hitting the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene of the truck accident.

Authorities ruled the man’s death as accidental due to multiple traumatic injuries. While the motorcyclist was in the truck’s blind spot, it was not known how close he was to the truck at the time of the tractor-trailer truck accident.

Source: Bob Kalinowski, “Accident claims motorcyclist’s life,” The Citizens Voice, June 13, 2008.

On June 12, 2008, a tractor-trailer truck was traveling on Interstate 80 in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, when the driver lost control of the truck. The truck then crashed into another tractor-trailer truck, blocking the right lane of the interstate, which caused a third tractor-trailer to maneuver around the accident. This caused a fourth tractor-trailer truck to get into an accident.

The driver of the fourth tractor-trailer truck was killed in the commercial truck accident. No other people involved in the fatal truck accident were seriously injured.

Authorities are treating the truck accidents as two separate accidents. The driver of the first tractor-trailer truck will be cited for careless driving.

Source: Megan Keener, “Tractor trailer accident shuts down I-80,” WeAreCentralPA.com, June 12, 2008.

On June 10, 2008, a tractor-trailer truck was traveling on Highway 6 near Calvert, Texas, when the truck crossed the centerline of the highway, hitting two tractor-trailer trucks. The driver of a pickup truck following the tractor-trailer trucks could not avoid hitting the trucks.

Three of the trucks involved in the truck accident caught fire after colliding. One man was killed, while two others were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained in the fatal truck accident.

Witnesses said the first tractor-trailer truck was weaving in and out of its lane, leading some to speculate it may have had a blown tire.

Source: “Fiery Crash Claims Life Of Central Texas Truck Drive,” KWTX.com, June 11, 200.

On July 7, 2008, a 46-year-old motorcyclist began fleeing police in Durham, North Carolina when they tried to pull him over for speeding. After a 5-minute chase, the man ran into the back of a car while traveling 110 miles-per-hour.

The driver of the car involved in the car accident was injured and transported to a hospital. The motorcyclist was also injured and is in serious condition at an area hospital.

The man faces several charges, including driving while intoxicated (DWI). In the past 10 years, he had been charged with DWI three times, and may now be charged as a habitual DWI offender.

Source: “Two injured after motorcyclist leads authorities on chase,” Wral.com, July 7, 2008.

On July 5, 2008, a woman was killed in a car accident on North Roxboro Road in Durham, North Carolina. Two hours later, as police officers were investigating the fatal car accident, a second car accident occurred, slightly injuring one of the police officers.

The first car accident occurred when a vehicle crossed the center line and hit another vehicle. A passenger in the car that was hit was killed, and the driver of the car was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The other driver is in critical condition. No charges have yet been filed.

While police officers were investigating the fatal car accident, a man driving a 1992 Buick ran into the side of a patrol car blocking the road. The patrol car had emergency lights on at the time of the car accident. A police officer suffered a major head injury. The driver of the Buick was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Source: “Intersection is scene of 2 crashes, 1 fatal,” News and Observer, July 6, 2008.

On June 12, 2008, a 54-year-old man from Waynesboro, Virginia was arrested and indicted for his involvement in a May 9, 2008 fatal tractor-trailer truck accident. He faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving.

The man was driving north on U.S. 29 and failed to stop for a red light, hitting a car driven by a 16-year-old girl who was pronounced dead at the scene of the truck accident.

If the man is convicted of involuntary manslaughter, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Source: Matt Rosenberg, “Driver indicted in fatal crash turns himself in,” DailyProgress.com, June 12, 2008.

On July 1, 2008, a 20-year-old man was stopped and waiting for traffic on U.S. 1 in Southern Pines, North Carolina, when a car hit the back of his vehicle. The driver who caused the motorcycle accident then fled the scene on foot.

The impact of the car accident pushed the motorcycle into the car in front of him. The motorcycle driver was transported to an area hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the car accident and released.

Source: Matthew Moriarty, “Motorcyclist hurt in accident,” The Pilot, July 3, 2008.

On July 7, 2008, police officers in Iredell County, North Carolina observed two men doing drugs in a car, and when they approached the car, the two men fled the scene. A passenger in the car jumped from the car, while the driver continued, eventually getting into a car accident.

A woman and child, the family of a detective, were in the car involved in the car accident, and were transported to an area hospital. The driver of the fleeing car also was transported to an area hospital.

Both men face felonious charges, including driving while intoxicated (DWI) and assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer.

Source: “Mother, Child Become Innocent Victims Following Police Chase,” WSOCTV.com, July 7, 2008.

On June 11, 2008, a man driving a tractor-trailer truck driving north in Selma, California, ran a stop sign, causing a truck accident with a pickup truck. After colliding with the pickup, the tractor-trailer truck hit a power pole, shearing it at the base. Both vehicles caught fire after the truck accident.

The pickup driver suffered major injuries, including burns to his left arm. His passenger sustained moderate injuries. The tractor-trailer truck driver also sustained moderate injuries. All three were transported to area hospitals for treatment of the injuries sustained in the truck accident.

Source: “News briefs,” FresnoBee.com, June 11, 2008.

On June 11, 2008, a 46-year-old man was riding a bicycle in Alton, Illinois, when he was run over by a tractor-trailer truck. The bicyclist died at the scene of the truck accident.

Authorities said the truck driver claimed he didn’t see the bicyclist, and that motorists honked and waved down the truck after the truck accident. The truck driver does not appear to be at fault, according to authorities, and no citations have been issued.

Source: “Bicyclist hit, killed by semi rig in Alton,” WPSDTV.com, June 12, 2008.

On July 1, 2008, traffic was stopped on Interstate 40 near Asheville, North Carolina, while crews trimmed trees along the highway. A tractor-trailer truck hit the back of a stopped vehicle, which set off a chain-reaction. Seven vehicles were involved in the car accidents, and 11 people were treated for injuries.

Authorities said a 1-year-old toddler was in the fifth vehicle in the line of seven involved, and was killed in the car accidents. Three others were in critical condition from injuries sustained in the car accident.

Source: “Toddler dies, 3 others critical after wreck,” ABC11.com, July 3, 2008.

On June 27, 2008, a 50-year-old man was driving on Lincolnton Road in Salisbury, North Carolina, when he ran a stop sign at an intersection, getting into a car accident. His car was hit on the driver’s side by a truck driven by a 26-year-old man and his wife and daughter.

A Salisbury police report said the man failed to yield the right of way and disregarded a stop sign. The man was not wearing a seatbelt and his airbag did not deploy in the fatal car accident. After impact, the man’s car left the roadway and hit a concrete culvert and several trees. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The man not at fault in the fatal car accident was wearing a seat belt and his airbag did deploy. His 29-year-old wife and 9-year-old daughter received minor injuries, but were treated at the scene of the car accident.

Source: “Man killed in car accident Friday failed to stop at intersection,” Salisbury Post, July 2, 2008.

On June 28, 2008, a vehicle made an illegal U-turn in the median of Interstate 95, causing two vehicles behind it to stop. This caused a sports utility vehicle (SUV) to lose control, running off the road and turning over in a ditch.

Three occupants were pinned into the SUV after the car accident. Three adults and one child were airlifted to area hospitals with serious injuries.

Source: “SUV Crashes Trying To Avoid Slowing Car,” My Daily Record, July 1, 2008.

On June 30, 2008, a 6-year-old girl was riding her bike in Thomasville, North Carolina when she struck the driver’s side door of a 2001 Chrysler Sedan. The car accident was allegedly caused by the young girl’s failure to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of the bike accident.

The girl was airlifted to an area hospital, where she is listed in critical condition from injuries sustained in the car accident.

Source: “Six-year-old cyclist injured in accident with car,” The Dispatch, July 1, 2008.

On June 28, 2008, a Wilmington, North Carolina police car was driving on Third Street when it approached an intersection, where the driver of a 2004 Honda Element made a left turn into the path of the police car, resulting in the police car getting into a car accident with the Honda.

Both drivers involved in the car accident, as well as several passengers in the Honda, were transported to area hospitals with minor injuries. The driver of the Honda, a 35-year-old man from Wilmington, was charged with driving while impaired (DWI) and driving during revocation.

Source: “Police Blotter: Wilmington police car involved in accident,” Wilmington Star News, June 30, 2008.

On June 27, 2008, two men were injured in a car accident in Lexington, North Carolina when the driver of the car they were riding in ran off the right of the road and struck a utility pole. The car came to a stop on its side, pinning the two male passengers in the car. The driver of the car involved in the car accident fled the scene.

Emergency personnel arrived at the car accident scene and freed the two men, both of whom were transported to an area hospital. The two men were discharged later in the day.

Authorities said they suspect speed and alcohol played a part in the car accident, though an investigation is still in progress.

Source: “Two are injured in early Friday wreck; driver flees scene,” Lexington-Dispatch, June 28, 2008.

On June 27, 2008, a 30-year-old man from Lumberton, North Carolina was driving east on U.S. 74 when his sport utility vehicle (SUV) crossed the center line, getting into a car accident with a Saturn carrying four people.

One passenger in the Saturn, a 27-year-old man, was killed in the car accident. Four others, including both drivers of the cars involved in the fatal car accident, were injured and were transported to an area hospital.

Authorities have not yet filed charges against anyone in the fatal car accident.

Source: “Robeson County wreck kills one person, injures four,” Fayetteville Observer, June 30, 2008.

On June 24, 2008, a 60-year-old man from Denton, North Carolina was driving a 2008 Dodge truck on N.C. 109 at 5:45 p.m. when he ran off the road to the left. The man traveled through a yard before getting back onto Liberty Drive, where he got into a car accident with two vehicles before the car came to a stop against a utility pole.

Authorities said the man was pronounced dead after being transported to an area hospital. No information about the other drivers involved in the car accident was available.

Source: “Denton man dies in wreck,” Winston-Salem Journal, June 25, 2008.

On June 25, 2008, a 54-year-old man was driving on Interstate 95 near Eastover, North Carolina, when he lost control of his truck and crashed through a guardrail in the median. The truck continued into incoming traffic, where it went under the middle of a tractor-trailer truck before getting into a car accident with another vehicle.

The driver of the second car in the car accident, which was a head-on car accident, was transported to an area hospital for treatment. The driver of the first car was killed in the car accident.

Source: “Wade Man killed in Interstate 95 wreck,” Wral.com, June 25, 2008.

On June 26, 2008, a 9-year-old girl was killed in a multi-car accident on Interstate 77 in York County, South Carolina. Department of Transportation cameras showed traffic halted after the car accident, which occurred at about 6 a.m. The cameras also showed at least one large truck involved in the car accident.

South Carolina Highway Patrol requested a medical emergency helicopter to transport at least one patient to an area hospital. The number of people injured in the car accident is not yet known.

Source: Steve Lyttle, “Child killed in York I-77 wreck,” Charlotte Observer, June 26, 2008.

On June 21, 2008, a 22-year-old man from Cleveland, North Carolina was driving on U.S. 70 when he crossed the center line and ran off the left side of the road, hitting a telephone box and flag pole before running into two parked cars in a driveway. The car then ran into the garage, knocking it from its foundation, before coming to a stop.

The man was pronounced dead on the scene of the car accident. Authorities estimate he was traveling between 90 and 100 miles-per-hour before losing control of the car. Two passengers in the car were also injured in the car accident. One man was airlifted to an area hospital, while another one suffered only minor injuries.

The fatal car accident also caused damage to the two parked vehicles and the garage. Two horses got scared during the car accident and jumped from a small corral, both becoming slightly injured.

Source: Steve Huffman, “Cleveland man killed in Saturday crash,” Salisbury Post, June 23, 2008.

On June 21, 2008, a 23-year-old man was crossing the Northeast Creek Bridge on Lejeune Boulevard in Jacksonville, North Carolina, when he hit two bicyclists, causing one to fall over the bridge into Northeast Creek.

The vehicle then left the scene. A witness to the car accident followed the vehicle, and the driver was eventually caught by police.

One of the bicyclists walked to a nearby business to ask for help before being transported to an area hospital, where he was treated and released for injuries sustained in the bike accident. The body of the other bicyclist, an 18-year-old from Midway Park, North Carolina, was recovered from the creek.

A passenger in the car received a serious cut on his arm during the car accident.

Police filed charges against the driver of the car in the car accident. The man was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, driving while impaired (DWI) and three counts of hit-and-run. The driver of the car attempted to report his car stolen the morning after the fatal car accident.

His passenger was charged with two counts of fleeing the scene of an accident involving injury and death, failure to remain at the scene and not reporting the accident to authorities.

Source: Lindell Kay, “Hit-and-run driver kills cyclist,” ENCToday.com, June 23, 2008.

On June 19, 2008, a 28-year-old man was driving on McBride Road in Mount Airy, North Carolina, when he went left of center, driving down an embankment and through a fence.

The owner of the property attempted to get the man to stop the car, which hit the property owner, who was not injured. The driver of the car drove it about a quarter-mile further down the road but wrecked again in an embankment.

A North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper arrived on the scene of the car accident to allegedly find one pound of marijuana on the front floorboard of the passenger side of the car. Scales and plastic bags were later found in the car.

The man was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver; maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for a controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia; driving while impaired (DWI); hit and run/failing to stop after property damage; driving left of center; exceeding a safe speed; driving with license revoked; and failure to wear a seat belt.

He is scheduled to appear in count on July 10, 2008 for the drug charges and on September 11, 2008 for the traffic offenses.

Source: Tom Joyce, “Wreck leads to multiple charges,” The Mount Airy News, June 21, 2008.

On June 21, 2008, a 48-year-old motorcyclist was driving on U.S. Highway 64 between Yadkin College and Mocksville, North Carolina when he was hit by a cattle truck. Authorities said the truck driver failed to stop and hit the motorcycle, killing the motorcyclist.

The truck driver was treated for minor injuries sustained in the truck accident. Police will charge him with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure to stop for his involvement in the motorcycle accident.

Source: “Motorcyclist killed after being hit by cattle truck,” MyFoxWGHP.com, June 21, 2008.

On June 19, 2008, a 53-year-old man from Jacksonville, North Carolina was a passenger in a truck that was traveling in Wilmington. At 5:20 a.m., the Chevrolet pickup truck in which he was riding entered the intersection of 16th and Dawson streets, where it was hit by another truck.

Police determined that one of the trucks involved in the truck accident ran a red light, and hope to use footage from a red-light camera at the intersection to determine which truck is at fault.

The two drivers of the trucks in the fatal truck accident were transported to an area hospital, where one was in fair condition and the other was treated and released.

Source: Veronica Gonzalez, “Wilmington fatal car crash victim identified,” Wilmington Star, June 19, 2008.

On June 14, 2008, a 54-year-old employee for the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation in North Carolina died from injuries sustained in a work accident. The man, a maintenance and operations assistant, is believed to have fallen from a ladder and hit his head in a storeroom.

The man was taken to Carolinas Medical Center where he underwent surgery after his on-the-job accident. He later died.

Source: April Bethea, “Park and Rec employee dies,” Charlotte Observer, June 17, 2008.

On June 16, 2008, a 21-year-old man from Salisbury, North Carolina was driving on South Main Street when his car spun out of control and flipped several times, injuring himself and a female passenger. The woman was thrown from the passenger seat into the rear of the car, suffering from cuts, bruises and a possible broken pelvis.

Authorities believe a silver car was trying to merge into another lane, clipping the back of the man’s 1999 Ford Escort and causing the car accident. The silver car did not stop at the scene of the car accident.

Source: Mark Wineka, “Man, woman injured when car flips on South Main,” Salisbury Post, June 17, 2008.

On June 12, 2008, a 21-year-old man from Lexington, North Carolina was driving a motorcycle on Becks Church Road when another vehicle hit him. The motorcyclist died two days later from injuries sustained in the car accident.

The impact of the motorcycle accident caused the man to be thrown from the motorcycle, which caught fire.

The driver of the car has been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and driving left of center.

Source: “Motorcyclist dies after wreck Thursday; driver charged,” The Dispatch-Online, June 16, 2008.

On June 14, 2008, a 51-year-old man from Fayetteville, North Carolina was driving a tractor-trailer truck on U.S. Highway 17 when he drove through the scene of a car accident, killing a volunteer firefighter and a sheriff’s deputy. The truck driver now faces two charges of misdemeanor death by vehicle and one charge of exceeding a safe speed for his role in the fatal tractor-trailer truck accident.

At the time of the truck accident, the Onslow County volunteer firefighter and sheriff’s deputy were assisting with three minor car accidents that occurred during low visibility created by a controlled burn. A second deputy was injured when the tractor-trailer truck pushed his patrol car against him.

Source: Anne Johnson, “Tractor-trailer driver charged after wreck kills Onslow firefighter, deputy,” Wral.com, June 15, 2008.