A tragic truck accident leaves one Illinois resident dead and another truck driver has been cited as the at-fault driver. The fatal truck accident occurred in Gallatin County, and the victim died as a result of injuries sustained. Police have determined that safety issues caused the accident.
The accident occurred when one semi was passed by another semi going in the opposite direction on U.S. 45 in Illinois. A tire flew off the passing truck and struck the other vehicle. When the tire hit his truck, the vehicle immediately burst into flames. The driver was unable to control the truck, and it veered into a tree. He was declared dead at the scene of the accident.
The other driver was towing a box trailer, and the victim was driving a coal truck. The driver of the truck from which the tire came has been cited for several safety violations, including driving with a cancelled truck license, failing to renew his license and loose truck parts. Investigators found that loose lug nuts were likely responsible for the tire coming off of the truck. This is a safety issue that should be checked before driving a large truck. It is not clear if any criminal charges will follow the citations issued by law enforcement.
Based on what is known from this truck accident, the deceased driver was not at fault for the incident. However, his sudden death could have left his family with financial burdens and emotional turmoil. Those he left behind could consider pursuing wrongful death compensation to cover the cost of any pain and suffering.
Source: courierpress.com, UPDATE: Driver cited in fatal accident in Southern Illinois, Len Wells, March 11, 2014