Stop lights and signs are established to direct traffic as safely and efficiently as possible. Regardless of to the size of the vehicle one is driving, failure to acknowledge traffic signs increases the chances of being involved in an accident. A recent truck accident in Missouri provided a good example of how running a stop sign can result in serious and sometimes fatal injuries.
When emergency personnel responded to an accident, the crash scene spread across the intersection. According to the accident report, the driver of a van initiated the accident when she failed to stop at the intersection and ran into a semi-truck who was already in progress across it. The force of the crash caused the van to turn, striking the truck a second time with the rear end of the smaller vehicle. The truck wound up jackknifed, blocking off most of the highway. The van continued off the road before it came to a halt near the shoulder.
All of the 9 passengers in the van were injured and taken to nearby medical facilities. Two of those passengers, a 25 year-old and an infant, had to be airlifted due to critical injuries they sustained after being ejected from the vehicle. The truck driver also sustained injuries in the accident, though they were initially characterized as minor, and he was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Three life flight helicopters and several ambulances assisted during the rescue efforts of those involved in the accident. While the relationship of the people in the van was not disclosed, the 41-year-old driver and five of the children — ranging in age from 6 to 14 years — all share the same last name. The other three passengers were all adults with different last names, and two of them were seriously injured. When family members are injured in a Missouri truck accident, they may choose to pursue insurance claims on behalf of the injured children and driver. The seriously injured adult passengers may ultimately decide to pursue personal injury claims, based upon evidence of driver negligence.
Source: Chillicothe News, “10 injured in crash near Jamesport“, , April 7, 2014
