Trucking accidents are a common occurrence on America’s highways. Not one day can go by without an accident or three taking over local news stations, mainly because of the sheer number of vehicles operating at any given time. Three stories that took place over the weekend illustrate how widespread and constant these kinds of accidents can be.
First is an incident in Jasper County, Iowa. Highway T22 ended up being shut down to traffic for over an hour this weekend due to a semi truck accident. The accident required a callout of emergency crews and cleanup personnel because of the nature of the cargo: 166 hogs. Twenty eight of the animals were killed in the accident, though no other injuries were reported. Even the driver, Brice Hospelorn of Wall Lake, was uninjured in the crash. Officials said the vehicle rolled over as a result of failure to maintain control.
In a second accident, a trucker from Idaho was killed in an Oklahoma semi truck accident. Twenty nine year old Rashadin Kychiev lost control of his vehicle on Oklahoma’s Will Rogers Turnpike around 7:30 pm on August 25. He hit a tree, killing himself in the collision. The impact caused the vehicle to catch fire and explode. Fortunately no other vehicles were involved. It is unclear what caused the accident.
Another accident took place north of Hanoverton in Ohio, and resulted in a family being sent to the hospital. Thirty five year old Tina Walker crashed into the back of a semi truck, injuring her and her two children, one six years of age, and the other only five months old. The children were immediately taken to nearby facilities, but Walker herself remained trapped in her vehicle for several hours before she could be pulled free and then airlifted to another hospital.
Trucking accidents are a far too common occurrence on our nation’s highways. Care and vigilance should always be taken when sharing the road with these big rigs.
