Semi Crashes into Bus, Killing Four
Tragedy struck Springfield, Ohio last Friday when a tractor-trailer swerved across the median of Interstate 70 and struck a bus that was transporting disabled adults who had been sent home early from a local vocational center due to inclement weather. The driver of the bus and three passengers were killed when the semi collided with the bus and caused the bus to crash. Six other passengers on the bus and the driver of the truck were injured. Investigators are still trying to determine if slick roadways caused by recent snow had caused the crash, if the driver was simply driving too fast, or if a combination of the two caused the accident.
With much of the United States, and most of Tennessee, experiencing harsh winter weather conditions over the past couple of weeks, it is no surprise that weather-related accidents are making headlines. This particular accident, with a tractor-trailer crashing into a bus loaded with passengers is the type of accident that can result in multiple deaths and serious injuries. Unfortunately, that is exactly what occurred here.
While unexpectedly icy roads can be a legitimate defense in a negligence suit, such a defense will most likely fail if it is determined that the driver at fault was speeding or driving too fast for the weather conditions. Icy conditions obviously demand that drivers slow down and use more caution than normal, especially if the driver is driving a vehicle like a tractor-trailer that requires special skill because it is more demanding to drive than a standard automobile. Police have not said whether the driver of the semi was indeed speeding or driving too fast for the icy conditions, but if that is found to be the case the driver will be looking at multiple personal injury suits from the families and dependents of the deceased as well as from those who were injured. Drivers need to remain vigilant and careful at all times, as one semi truck accident in Tennessee can cause multiple victims to suffer serious injuries in damages, resulting in an extraordinary amount of liability for the party at fault.
