On Saturday May 30, 2015 in Portage, Michigan an accident closed down 1-94. For more than four hours the eastbound section of 1-94 was closed down during the afternoon. A tandem wheel/tire assembly from a tanker trailer on an 18-wheeler going westbound, came off its axle and bounded over the median.The incident happened around 1:53 P.M.
The wheel hit a 2013 Honda Accord which was occupied by three people. The names of the people were not released, but MLive reported that one woman lost her life and the other two were transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital in critical condition. The woman who died at the scene was sitting in the back seat and was 67 years old.
All three women were not from Michigan, but were residents of Illinois visiting Michigan. The accident remains under investigation.
At any given time, there are 15.5 million semi trucks operating in the United States and 1.2 million trucking companies. Nearly 5,000 people are killed every year in accidents involved with larger vehicles and out of those 5,000 deaths, there is only a 16% chance that it is the fault of the truck driver. That means that more than 3 out of 4 times, it is something that the other driver did that causes the accident.
It is easy to forget how large trucks and semis actually are when driving by them. The larger the car, the harder it is to stop and the harder it is for them to see other cars around them (this is why they are required to have special mirrors). Commercial trucks are only involved in 2.4% of all the accidents accounted for in a year, but they do happen. These accidents are more likely to happen during the early morning hours on the weekend, as these are peaks working hours for commercial drivers. Therefore, Michiganders need to me more cautious when driving during these hours and when there are large truck and semis on the road, so as to avoid car accidents.
If you have been injured in an accident involving a semi-truck, or any other type of car crash, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our experienced auto accident lawyers are ready to help victims of car crashes deal with insurance companies, pay for medical bills, and ease your road to recovery. Call us today at 844.4MI.FIRM or click here for a free consultation.