When a car and a loaded garbage truck collide, the occupants of the smaller vehicle are very likely to suffer serious injuries. This was the case in a recent truck accident that sadly took the lives of two men from Illinois.
The men, both 31 years old and from Peoria, were passengers in an SUV that collided with a garbage truck. The collision happened just before 5 p.m. on May 29, as the driver of the SUV began to make a left turn off of an Illinois highway.
The driver of the garbage truck, which was heading in the opposite direction, was unable to avoid crashing into the SUV. The impact caused so much damage to the smaller vehicle that it took local authorities nearly three hours to disentangle the occupants from the wreckage. The driver of the SUV was taken to a local hospital for injuries that were said to be life-threatening.
In this case, the SUV driver was cited for failing to yield while turning left and driving with an expired driver’s license. It is unclear if authorities have completed their investigation of the accident.
However, in a fatal collision such as this one, the ensuing investigation typically involves toxicology tests, skid mark testing and taking statements from anyone who witnessed the crash. Gathering this evidence helps officials determine what exactly caused an accident, and the injured parties or their families can at that point decide whether to file a civil action, such as a wrongful death or personal injury claim. Our readers in Southern Illinois who have been injured because of another person’s negligence should be aware of the protections our state offers to prevent an injury or death from becoming a financial struggle.
Source: Canton Daily Ledger, “Two dead in SUV collision with trash hauler near Banner; victims identified,” May 31, 2012