Prosecutors in southern Illinois are considering criminal charges against the driver of a truck that killed a construction worker last June. According to the Belleville News-Democrat, the victim, Cedric L. B. Gasper, was sitting on the tailgate of parked a pickup truck on Illinois 15 when the tractor-trailer pushed through several construction barricades and rammed the front end of the truck. The crash threw Gasper from the tailgate. Illinois State Police have finished their reconstruction of the accident and will decide by mid-May whether to bring charges against the truck’s driver, who was not identified.
This sad case is a good illustration of the sheer force a tractor-trailer can bring to an accident. Even if the truck was not speeding, it would have outweighed the pickup by several tons. That means it would have brought a substantially greater force to the collision, even if both had been moving. In fact, if the larger vehicle had been speeding, my guess as an experienced St. Louis trucking accident lawyer is that the damage would have been even greater. As it is, the article notes, the force of the crash not only catapulted Gasper out of his seat and killed him, but pushed the pickup into an IDOT truck, which I am glad to see was empty. Since the article doesn’t give details of the accident reconstruction, one can only imagine the circumstances under which a truck driver might plow through barriers into a work zone.
The News-Democrat also reported that Gasper was one of 31 people killed in roadside work zones in Illinois last year. In response, his mother, Ella Mae Hastings, spoke at a news conference last week announcing National Work Zone Safety Week. As a southern Illinois truck accident attorney, I am well aware of the special dangers to people who spend time standing on the side of a busy highway. That doesn’t just include construction workers — law enforcement, emergency responders, tow truck drivers and even ordinary drivers who happened to break down have all been killed on Illinois and Missouri roadsides.
Based in St. Louis and Belleville, Illinois, the Lowe Law Firm represents people in Illinois and Missouri who have been seriously hurt in a crash with a careless truck driver. Trucking accidents are generally very serious accidents, causing a disproportionate amount of traffic deaths and very serious injuries such as brain damage and paralysis. If you or someone you love is a victim of a truck accident caused by someone else’s carelessness, our experienced Missouri semi accident lawyers can help. To set up a free, confidential consultation, please contact the firm online or call toll-free at 1-877-678-3400.
