NY Truck Crash Blamed on Driver Inattention
Last month, an 18-wheeler was responsible for the death of six people when it crashed into a long line of cars stopped for road construction. Now, a month later, officials are blaming the accident on the truck driver’s inattention.
According to the Daily Herald, the truck accident happened near the Fort Drum Army post, where road workers were repaving. There was a series of signs leading up to the road work, warning that workers were ahead.
The truck driver claimed not to see any of the signs.
Instead, he plowed into the back of an SUV, starting a chain reaction of collisions. In all, six were killed including three children.
The truck driver himself was initially listed in critical condition, but is now in good condition, recovering at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.
No charges have been brought against him.
His truck was owned by MBM Customized Foodservice Distribution. The company is based out of North Carolina and their trucks have reportedly been involved in 75 accidents over the past two years—one of which was fatal, and 23 resulted in injury. Continue reading
Trucker Missed Construction Signs in Fatal Wreck
Six people were killed last week in a tragic accident that occurred upstate on Route 11 near Fort Drum Army post. A truck driver plowed into the back of a line of cars who were waiting for a paving project on the highway.
According to the Washington Post, the police report that truck driver James A. Mills, 45, was alert at the time of the accident and just failed to notice the construction signs and the stopped vehicles. Mills reportedly tried to brake before the accident and “didn’t appear to be impaired or distracted,” according to state police.
Investigator Rick Hathaway reported that there were no text messages or calls immediately before the accident. He also said that Mills was cooperative and helped to pull a victim from their car before it caught fire.
Mills crashed into an SUV that burst into flames on impact. A family of four within the SUV died at the scene. The tractor trailer accident ultimately involved six cars as the SUV was pushed forward in the line of stopped vehicles. One additional victim died later at the hospital. Continue reading