Scary New Haven Truck Accident Ends In Fatality

When traveling along the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge a vehicle got a flat tire and pulled over to the side of the road to tend to it.  A tractor trailer, traveling in an exit only lane struck the vehicle and then spun harrowingly out of control.  When the dust had settled the tractor trailer had traveled across all four lanes of road and ended in a terrible situation that left the driver dead.

This New Haven truck accident is all too common with our roads being so congested with tractor trailer trucks along the I-95 corridor.  This congestion presents a serious problem for all who are sharing the road with these large vehicles.

With the backdrop of this very serious accident that left the tractor trailer truck driver dead and the driver of the broken down vehicle with serious injuries which were being treated at Yale New Haven Hospital, it is important to look at the steps you should take if you end up with a flat tire to protect yourself from being involved in this type of situation.  It can be a very difficult situation to find yourself in, but if you follow some simple steps you can protect yourself and other drivers who are on the road at the time of your issue.

Step #1: Don’t panic.  This might be the hardest step.  When you’re traveling at a high speed and you end up with a flat tire it can be very jarring.  Depending on how the tire goes flat you might lose control of your vehicle or become unable to accelerate or brake.  All of these scenarios can cause panic, but you must remain calm.  If you are calm, you will make better decisions and keep yourself and any passengers that you have safe.

Step #2: Assess the situation.  Before you immediately pull over you will want to do your best to assess the situation.  Where are you on the road?  What is the safest place to pull off the road and start to look at your flat tire?  Is there a nearby exit that you can take so you can remove yourself from the busy highway to a safer destination where you can address your situation?  These are all important questions to ask yourself in the time that you are trying to resolve your situation.  If you have the time to ask and answer these questions you will be in a much safer position.

Step #3: Make yourself and your vehicle visible.  Whenever and wherever you decide to pull off of the road to address your tire issue, you will need to do whatever you can to make yourself visible to the vehicles that are still driving by at a high speed.  Ideally you will have flares that you can place on the road so that people who are approaching your vehicle can easily see that you are pulled over to the side of the road.  If you don’t have flares, make sure, at the very least, that your road hazard lights are flashing.  This will make sure that those who are approaching your vehicle can see that you are in distress.

No matter what your circumstance is you cannot completely protect yourself from being involved in a New Haven truck accident, but you can take steps that will keep you safer then if you didn’t take them.  It is important to take the time to understand what might occur if you were in a situation and had to react.  Learning and understanding how to respond now will help you react in a calm and smart manner if you are ever faced with this type of issue while out on the road.

If you get injured from an accident involving yourself and another vehicle you may need to speak with an attorney who has experience with your type of situation.  Contact our office and one of our attorneys will have a conversation with you about the particulars of your situation.