Last week, there was a crash involving a Woodfin Police Department vehicle and a semi-truck. According to WLOS ABC News Channel 13, the incident happened on Friday morning, at about 6:30 a.m. Very little information has been released about this crash, but initial reports indicate that it occurred along Interstate 40 East, near mile marker 31, in Haywood County. A semi-truck slammed into the back of a Woodfin Police Department patrol car that was responding to a crash scene.
Semi Truck Slams Into Woodfin Patrol Car
Apparently, the Woodfin police officer was headed to work when he saw a single-vehicle wreck in the travel lane of I-40 east. He drove up to the scene and turned on the blue lights of the patrol car. Before he even got out of his vehicle, a semi-truck slammed into the back of the patrol car. The police officer inside of the patrol car had to be transported to Haywood Regional Hospital for treatment of injuries. The truck driver was not injured in the crash. That person was charged with failure to reduce speed. The driver in the initial one-vehicle wreck was taken to Mission Hospital for treatment of injuries.
U.S. Truck Crash Statistics
- In 2015, there were 4,094 truck crash fatalities in the U.S.
- In 2016, there were 4,317 people killed in truck crashes in the U.S.
- Between 2015 and 2016, there was a 5.4 percent increase in truck crash fatalities.
- 79 percent of fatal crashes involving large trucks happened on weekdays in 2016.
- In 2016, 72 percent of people killed in crashes involving large trucks were in other vehicles.
Truck Accidents in Asheville
Since commercial trucking vehicles are so much larger and heavier than other passenger occupant vehicles, truck drivers and trucking companies have additional rules and regulations to follow to keep roadways safe for all users. After any kind of accident involving a semi-truck or tractor-trailer, it’s important to speak with an experienced Personal Injury lawyer about your case. Additional investigative efforts may be necessary.
If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident in Asheville or in any of the nearby Western North Carolina communities, contact the skilled and proven team at Davis Law Group, P.A. at 828-303-2842 for a free case consultation today.