A truck driver crossed the median on I-65 in Kentucky early this morning and struck a church van head-on. At least 11 people are known to have died as a result. A Kentucky State Trooper reported that 2 children survived the crash. The truck driver also died in the collision, and his truck was burned beyond recognition. The people in the van were on their way to a wedding in Iowa.
The National Transportation Safety Board has already dispatched a team of investigators to the scene to try and find out how and why the crash occurred.Since the truck driver did not survive the crash, it is unlikely that authorities will ever truly know why the crash happened. In most instances where a truck unexpectedly crosses into the oncoming lanes, and particularly in crashes that happen early in the morning or late at night, the truck driver is usually fatigued and/or sleeping.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) require truck companies to monitor their truck driver’s hours of driving and of being on duty. Truck drivers are also required to keep an hourly log of their time in what is called a Driver’s Daily Log. As I have discussed in prior posts, in the cases where we represent the victims of truck crashes, we often find that the truck driver was over the legal number of hours at the time of the crash.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a collision with a large truck, then you should hire an attorney that is experienced in interstate truck litigation. The Association for Plaintiff Interstate Truck Attorneys of America is a good resource for finding qualified truck litigation attorneys in your area.