A trucking accident involving two tractor-trailers on Interstate 95 recently closed two lanes of the busy highway and claimed the life of one of the truck drivers. Florida Highway Patrol officers say the accident occurred around 5 a.m. at mile marker 189 south of the I-95 exchange with Wickham Road. Emergency responders from Brevard County Fire Rescue said one truck was hauling PVC piping and the other was carrying general merchandise when the driver of the truck carrying the PVC rear-ended the other truck, causing more than 70 gallons of diesel fuel to spill onto the road.
FHP spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes said that the diesel spill made the clean-up especially dangerous and problematic.
“That diesel eats the roadway up,” she said. “We can’t let people drive on that. They had to fix the road before they could.”
Road workers had to mill the road where the fuel spilled and then repave it before traffic could be restored on two of three lanes of I-95.
Montes said that the 57-year-old driver of the truck carrying general merchandise was following traffic too closely at the time of the accident. When his truck rear-ended the truck hauling PVC in front of him, the PVC piping was driven through the driver’s cab, killing him instantly.
“They were just traveling along,” Montes said. “(Daniels) was simply going faster than the other truck and ran right into the back of it.”
The 48-year-old driver of the other truck suffered minor injuries in the crash and was not hospitalized. FHP troopers said that they did not believe alcohol or drugs were contributing factors in the accident.
This trucking accident is very unusual in that two trucks were involved and that one of the drivers was killed. The overwhelming majority of trucking accidents involve tractor-trailers and much smaller passenger vehicles, and, in most cases, it is the occupants of the smaller vehicles who suffer catastrophic, even fatal, injuries. If you or a member of your immediate family has been injured in a Florida trucking accident and you have questions about your rights and legal options, call Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham today at 386-243-4994 or 407-425-2000. Mr. Cunningham is an Orlando personal injury attorney with a reputation for working hard and helping clients receive the maximum allowable compensation.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a vehicle accident, call at (386) 243-4994.
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