Illinois truck accident kills one

Barry Doyle

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 800

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A Michigan teen was killed when the vehicle in which she was a passenger was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer and forced into a ditch. The accident occurred after traffic had slowed for another accident ahead of them, also involving a truck. The truck driver in the accident ahead had been on the road for 20 hours and had fallen asleep at the wheel.

The teen suffered serious injuries and died at a local hospital hours later.

This story brings out one of the dangers posed to all drivers on the road: that of over-tired truckers. Federal regulations limit the number of hours that a driver can be on the road on a daily and weekly basis. However, monitoring for compliance is lax by by both employers and authorities.

Drivers who have been on the road over hours suffer from delayed reaction times and impaired judgment, which puts everyone at risk, especially in light of the great size and power of the rigs they drive.