New Haven Truck Accidents Can Get Worse The Longer They Last

There are a lot of things that can contribute to a New Haven truck accident and how severe it ultimately becomes.  You wouldn’t think that the length of time that an accident happens is something that would contribute to it’s severity because often an accident occurs and then is over within the blink of an eye.  That was not the case for one commuter who had a hair raising experience when driving on a snowy road in Kansas.  The driver who accidentally ran a red light and slid under a semi-truck, became lodged there and was dragged for miles before the truck driver noticed that the car was wedged underneath his vehicle.  The vehicle was dragged between 7-8 miles before the truck driver noticed.

While this type of scenario is very rare and does not happen often, it’s clear it can happen.  Along with the long distance that the vehicle was dragged under the truck, the time it took to go that distance was also traumatizing and led to additional injuries for the woman who was behind the wheel.

So, what contributed to this accident and how can you make sure you do not find yourself in a situation like this?  One of the many contributing factors was the weather.  The driver of the vehicle was out during some very wintry conditions that made the road slick.  These conditions ultimately led to the driver speeding through a stop light and up under the truck ahead.  While snowy conditions are not something you can control, you can control whether you venture out into them.  If the weather is not good, you should wait to leave where you are until the weather conditions are cleared up and the roads have been treated.  That is a first step in keeping yourself safe when a winter storm is upon you.

The weather was not the only contributing factor to this particular accident and all of the other factors were in control of the driver and should have been avoided to have kept herself safe.  The contributing factors included;

1.) Speed.  The woman who was driving along the wintry road admitted to police that she had been driving faster than she should have been, especially considering the conditions.  Speeding is one of the most dangerous things you can do behind the wheel and certainly if the weather conditions have been bad the speed of your vehicle can contribute to the severity of your accident.

2.) Alcohol:  Driving under the influence of alcohol will definitely leave you more vulnerable to an accident.  The woman in this particular incident was driving after having left a bar and had been drinking.  While she believed she was capable of driving, it clearly impacted the accident in an adverse way.  When you’re out with friends at a restaurant or bar and you’re not sure if you’ve had too much to drink you should always lean on the side of safety and call an Uber to take you home.  Better yet, before you go out designate a driver and have someone who can take you home safely.

3.) Stay awake and alert:  When you’re out late at night you need to make sure that you are awake and alert behind the wheel.  If you are not, it can lead to bad decisions which can easily contribute to a dangerous situation.  While drowsiness may not have been a factor in this accident, it could have been.  Being well rested when you’re driving a vehicle is critical to a safe drive.

Strange accidents between tractor trailer trucks and cars are not as uncommon as you might think.  In fact, here in Connecticut a New Haven truck accident is even more likely considering the fact that we share our Interstate with a huge amount of tractor trailers as they pass between upper New England and the tri-state area.   If you avoid some of the common mistakes that drivers make you can keep yourself safe and avoid this type of accident.

Our office has a number of experienced attorneys who have worked on cases that involve tractor trailer collisions and we would be happy to speak with you if you’ve been in a situation that involved an accident with a truck.  Contact our office and speak with one of our attorneys to work on protecting your long-term interests.