Posted On: October 27, 2008

NHTSA Reports 63 Deadly Large Truck Accidents in Maryland in 2007

Out of the 849 vehicles that were involved in deadly traffic collisions in Maryland last year, 63 of those motor vehicles were large trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released these latest figures as part of its 2007 Traffic Safety Facts on large trucks. A large truck, according to the data, is a gross vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds.

More 2007 Facts on Large Truck Accidents in the United States:

• 413,000 large trucks were involved in US traffic collisions.
• 4,808 people died in large truck crashes.
• 101,000 people were injured in large truck crashes.
• 1 out of every 9 traffic deaths in the US involved a collision with a large truck.
• 75% (3,601) of the fatalities were passengers in other motor vehicles involved in collisions with large trucks.
• 8% (405) of the people that died in large truck accidents were not riding in any vehicles at the time of the crash.
• 17% (802) of the people that died in large truck accidents had been riding in trucks when the deadly crash occurred.
• 75% (75,000) of injury victims involved in large truck crashes were occupants of other vehicles.
• 23% (23,000) of the injury victims were large truck occupants.
• 2% (2,000) of the injury victims were not riding in any vehicles at the time the large truck crash occurred.
• Large trucks have a greater chance of becoming involved in a deadly multi-vehicle collision than passenger vehicles.
• 1% of large truck drivers involved in deadly crashes had a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or greater at the time of the accident.
• 23% of passenger car drivers, 23% of light truck drivers, and 27% of motorcyclists involved in deadly auto crashes recorded BAC's of 08% or greater.
• Almost 24% of the large truck drivers involved in deadly crashes had at least one prior conviction for speeding.
• 19% of passenger car drivers involved in deadly crashes had prior speeding convictions.

2007 Large Trucks Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA


Related Web Resources:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Maryland Department of Transportation

Continue reading " NHTSA Reports 63 Deadly Large Truck Accidents in Maryland in 2007 " »

Posted On: October 15, 2008

Dump Truck Accident in Germantown Kills One Elderly Pedestrian and Seriously Injures Her Husband

A 78-year-old woman was killed and her 74-year-old husband sustained serious injuries when they were hit by a dump truck in Germantown last Thursday. The deadly Maryland motor vehicle crash occurred around 12:50pm on Route 118 in an area of the road that was under construction.

The dump truck struck the elderly pedestrians as it was backing up. Yushu Li died at the accident scene. Her husband, Xiufeng Wang was admitted to Suburban Hospital in serious but stable condition.

According to police, who are conducting the investigation, the backup alarm on the truck was working and the truck doesn’t appear to have any code violations. Dump truck driver Jack Bowers did not sustain injures.

A backhoe operator who saw the couple walking prior to the accident stopped his equipment because he believed the two of them were too close to the debris.

Common kinds of truck accidents that can lead to injuries and deaths include:

• Trucks striking pedestrians
• A collision between a truck and car, motorcycle, or another vehicle
• A truck striking a nonmoving object

Trucks that have been involved in traffic accidents include:

• Dump trucks
• 18-wheeler trucks
• Tractor-trailers
• Van trucks
• Garbage trucks
• Logging trucks
• Livestock vehicles
• Cement mixers
• Bobtail units


Senior Pedestrians Facts
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, senior pedestrians made up 16% of the 4,654 pedestrians that died and the 6% percent of the 70,000 pedestrians that were injured in traffic crashes in 2007.

Woman Killed After Dump Truck Strikes Her, WJZ.com, October 10, 2008

Woman Dies in Truck Accident, WashingtonPost.com, October 10, 2008

Pedestrians Hit by Dump Truck in Germantown , MyFox, October 9, 2008


Related Web Resources:

Pedestrian Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA

Continue reading " Dump Truck Accident in Germantown Kills One Elderly Pedestrian and Seriously Injures Her Husband " »

Posted On: October 6, 2008

Four People Injured in Maryland After Tractor-Trailer Strikes Another Vehicle, Causing Chemical Spill in Harford County

Four people sustained injuries in Harford County, Maryland, after a tractor-trailer hit a pickup truck, turned over, and spilled a flammable chemical onto Interstate 95 (southbound). The crash occurred past the Aberdeen exit close to the Maryland House Travel Center.

Maryland State Police say the trucking accident occurred soon after 2am soon after Juan Moyorga, a pickup truck driver slowed down his vehicle in the wake of the crash scene from an earlier collision. He was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer, which then turned over onto the center median’s guardrail.

Investigators say that fluid began leaking from the semi-truck onto the ground. They have identified the flammable chemical as acetone.

A part of the highway was shut down for eight hours, while firefighters managed to contain the acetone leak. The Maryland Department of the Environment says about five gallons had leaked out.

Edgewood resident Deanna Moyorga, a passenger in the pickup, was transported by air to Maryland Shock Trauma Center with critical injuries. Juan Moyorga and another passenger, Andreas Juarez, suffered serious injures and were also taken to the center.

Baltimore tractor-trailer driver Carroll Quarles suffered non fatal injuries and was transported to Harford Memorial Hospital.

Chemical Spills
Trucking accidents resulting in chemical spills can be a potential hazard not just to the motor vehicle crash victims but to other people in the area—depending on the type of chemical that is leaked and the injuries that can result.

4 hurt, chemical spilled in I-95 crash in Harford, BaltimoreSun.com, October 5, 2008

Interstate 95 Reopens After Hazmat Spill, WBALTV.com, October 4, 2008


Related Web Resource:

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, CDC.gov

Maryland Department of the Environment

Continue reading " Four People Injured in Maryland After Tractor-Trailer Strikes Another Vehicle, Causing Chemical Spill in Harford County " »

Posted On: October 3, 2008

NTSB Calls on FMCSA to Do More to FIght Trucker Fatigue and Prevent Deadly Truck Crashes

Following its findings that the cause of a 2005 semi-trailer– bus crash in Wisconsin that claimed five lives and injured over 30 people happened because the truck driver had fallen asleep while driving, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration implement new technology to fight trucker fatigue.

The deadly crash occurred when a bus carrying a high school band rammed into Kozlowski’s overturned large truck. The agency says that Kozlowski failed to get enough sleep during his off-time and nodded off right before his truck jackknifed.

While the jury for Kozlowski’s criminal trial acquitted the trucker of 12 felony and 21 misdemeanor charges and placed blame on the 78-year-old bus driver for not wearing his glasses, the agency’s findings conclude that even if he had worn his glasses, the motorcoach operator would have had a hard time seeing the truck in the dark.

The NTSB is recommending that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration:

• Put together a plan to install anti-fatigue technology in commercial carriers.
• Create a methodology to evaluate how well a motor carrier’s fatigue management strategy is working.

The NTSB is recommending that the National Highway Traffic Administration figure out whether it makes sense to install active braking and electronic stability control systems in commercial trucks. It also wants trucking companies to more closely monitor truck log books and make sure that their drivers are getting enough sleep in between their driving shifts.

If you or someone you love was injured in a Maryland truck crash, this is not the kind of case that you want to handle without an experienced truck crash attorney by your side.

Truck Driver Fell Asleep, NTSB Says, School Transportation News

Truck accidents justify crackdown on fatal link to drivers' fatigue, DelawareOnline.com, September 19, 2008


Related Web Resources:

Hours-of-Service Regulations, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

National Transportation Safety Board

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Continue reading " NTSB Calls on FMCSA to Do More to FIght Trucker Fatigue and Prevent Deadly Truck Crashes " »