Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Bicyclist Dies After Colliding with Sanitation Truck

December 3, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Gaithersburg, a bicyclist was killed when he was struck by a sanitation truck that was pulling into a parking lot. According to one local news report, the bicyclist was riding on the 12100 block of Darnestown Road heading east when the accident occurred.

Evidently, the driver of a sanitation truck was heading westbound on Darnestown Road when he attempted to make a left turn into a parking lot. As he completed the left turn, he struck the bicyclist, fatally injuring him. At the time he attempted to make the turn, the truck driver had a green light. The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency workers.

Police are currently investigating the cause of the accident to see if the bicyclist was at fault or whether it was the truck driver’s negligence that caused the accident. Depending on the result of their investigation, the truck driver may face charges for his role in the accident.

Trucker Killed When He Crashes into Disabled Dump Truck

November 26, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in a fatal accident out of Prince William County, Virginia, a truck driver lost his life when he crashed into a disabled dump truck on Interstate 95. According to a report by a local CBS affiliate, the dump truck was stalled in the middle northbound lane of I-95 around mile marker 195.

Evidently, the dump truck driver notified authorities as soon as his vehicle became disabled. However, before authorities could get to the scene, the semi-truck driver crashed into the back of the dump truck. It was only a matter of minutes after the truck was disabled that it was hit.

After the accident, the driver of the dump truck was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. However, the driver of the semi-truck was killed in the accident and pronounced dead at the scene. Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident.

Huge Beam Falls Off Semi-Truck in Washington State

November 21, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Everett, Washington, an 86-foot beam fell off the back of a semi-truck as the truck was making a left turn. According to a report by one local news source, the 55-ton beam fell off the truck on a Thursday afternoon around 4:30 in the afternoon and remained on the road for approximately nine hours until emergency crews were able to remove it.

Evidently, the truck driver was almost to his destination when he made a left turn and the beam fell off the back of the semi-truck. There is no indication as to how the beam was secured on the truck, or how it came off the back of the truck. Luckily, no one was hurt when the beam fell off the truck.

Police are currently investigating the cause of the accident. Thus far into the investigation, they do not believe that drugs or alcohol were involved.

Car Cuts off Semi-Truck on NJ Highway, Causing Two Deaths

November 14, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this in New Jersey, a tragic accident claimed the lives of two motorists when a semi-truck rolled over on top of a car, engulfing both vehicles in flames. According to a report by one local news source, a truck was heading down New Jersey Route 21 around 7:30 in the evening when a car cut off the truck.

As the truck lost control, it slammed into the guardrail and eventually toppled over on top of another car. The truck and the car it fell on top of both caught fire. Shortly thereafter, another vehicle crashed into the wreckage.

After the truck driver got out of the vehicle, he ran over to the car that was still on fire. Witnesses report that he tried to help get the people trapped inside out of the car. Unfortunately, he was unable to get them out, and both passengers in the car were pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver is expected to be fine.

2013 Rosedale Accident Determined To Be Caused by Distracted Driving

November 7, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last year in Rosedale, a trash truck crossed onto a railroad track as the train was approaching and caused the train to derail, ultimately resulting in millions of dollars of property damage. Luckily, no one was hurt in the accident.

Just recently, the National Transportation Safety Board released the results of its investigation into the accident. The NTSB determined that the driver failed to check that the tracks were clear before he proceeded over them. Specifically, the NTSB also determined that the driver of the trash truck was on his cellular phone, using a hands-free device, at the time of the accident.

Evidently, the cell phone records of the driver came back indicating that he accepted a phone call just 18 seconds before the serious accident.

Truck Driver Dies in Hagerstown I-81 Crash

October 24, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In a tragic accident earlier this week in West Hagerstown, one man lost his life in a semi-truck accident when the truck he was driving drifted off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail, and then ran into a bridge support beam. According to one local news report, the truck was carrying recyclables and was heading northbound on Interstate 81 when the fatal accident occurred.

Evidently, when the truck crashed into the beam, it exploded. Investigators believe that a saddle fuel ruptured on impact and that was the cause of the explosion. The driver of the truck was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Thankfully, no other cars or trucks were involved in the accident, and the truck driver was the only person injured.

One witness to the accident told reporters that she was about 13 car lengths back at the time of the collision, and that initially she didn’t think that it was a very serious accident. It wasn’t until the loud “boom” that she realized the seriousness of the accident. Engineers were called in to assess the structural integrity of the bridge after the explosion. It is not yet clear what the situation is regarding the bridge’s stability.

Maryland Dump Truck Accident Traps Driver for Hours While Crews Try To Free Him

October 17, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in a frightening accident in Ellicott City, a dump truck crashed on the side of the road, trapping the driver inside for hours. According to a report by one local news source, the driver of the dump truck was heading north on Route 29 between Maryland Route 103 and US Route 40 around 8:30 in the morning when the accident occurred.

Evidently, the truck was heading north when it suddenly left the road, crashed into a guard rail, and then crashed into an overhead sign. Eventually, the dump truck flipped over, trapping the driver inside. When emergency crews responded, it took them over two hours to get the man out of the truck. Police said that the extrication was a resource-intensive and highly technical operation.

While the cause of the accident is still under investigation, investigators say that it is possible that one of the tires on the dump truck blew out. This then would have caused the driver of the truck to lose control, sending the truck off the roadway.

Williamsport Bicyclist Injured When Hit By Dump Truck

October 10, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, a man was flown to a trauma center in Baltimore when he fell off his bicycle and was then hit by a passing dump truck. According to a report by one local news source, the 63-year-old man was riding his bike near the North Conococheague Street bridge when the accident occurred.

Evidently, the bicyclist was heading eastbound on North Conococheague Street when he lost control of the three-wheeled bicycle he was riding around 3:00 in the afternoon. After he fell off the bicycle, a passing dump truck struck the bicyclist, severely injuring him.

The man was immediately flown to R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he was treated for his injuries. Luckily, the bicyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

Bus Accident Near Maryland-Delaware Border Claims Two Lives, Injures Dozens More

October 3, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, a bus headed south from New York City was involved in a fatal accident near the Maryland-Delaware border. According to a report by USA Today, the accident occurred on an exit ramp onto northbound Route 13 from Route 1 near Red Lion, Delaware.

Evidently, the southbound bus was in the process of negotiating a tight turn when the driver lost control of the bus, triggering the fatal bus accident. The bus was attempting to make the teardrop-shaped loop onto Route 1 around 4:20 in the afternoon when the accident occurred.

No one on board the bus escaped without injury. Two people died as a result. One of the deceased was found trapped under the bus. Several others were trapped inside the bus. In total, 48 passengers were injured. Maryland State Police loaned Delaware authorities helicopters to help get the victims medical care as quickly as possible.

Two Dump Trucks Get into Head-On Collision in Maryland

September 22, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Frederick County, two dump trucks working for the same company got into a head-on collision, injuring both drivers. According to a report by WUSA9, the accident occurred just after noon on Elmer Derr Road, near East Mount Zion Road.

Evidently, both of the trucks were owned by a concrete company based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. At some point, the truck heading westbound drifted across the center median and slammed into the eastbound truck. There was no indication that either of the drivers was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident.

Both drivers were injured in the accident. One of them was taken by ambulance to FMH, and the other was flown by helicopter to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. It seems as though both drivers will make a full recovery.