Wednesday, on Route 5 in Elbridge, a tractor trailer rear-ended a stopped car so hard that the car, a Kia, burst into flames, killing its driver and passenger. The Onondaga County deputy sheriff’s office says the tractor trailer left no skid marks at all, which means its driver did not apply the brakes. And what does that mean? That the driver did not even see the stopped car. And what does that mean? One of two things: Either he was sleeping, or he was distracted.
Most likely distracted. I have blogged about this before: distracted driving is become a HUGE problem on our roadways. More and more Central New York car accident lawsuits against distracted drivers are being filed. As a Syracuse car accident lawyer, the volume of car accidents cases I handle where the at-fault driver was distracted because he was using a cell phone, texting, and using some other electronic device has increased dramatically over the years.
Typically, distracted driving causes crossover accidents (the texting or dialing driver slowly drifts across the centerline without noticing) and rear-end collisions (the distracted driver does not notice that the vehicle in front of him has stopped). But distracted drivers also tend to run red lights, blow past stop signs, and run into utility poles or other roadside structures.
Combine distracted driving with tractor trailer driving and what do you get? A bad situation made worse. Tractor trailers are so heavy compared to cars that a collision between the two is no contest; the car’s driver and passengers are more often than not killed (as they were in this accident) or seriously injured. That’s why commercial trucks and drivers are subject to so many State and Federal safety regulations. By the way, these regulations come in handy in preparing a New York commercial truck accident lawsuit.
Don’t get distracted while you drive. If you are the victim of New York disctracted driving accident, call or email me for free information on what to do about it.