A tractor-trailer crushed a car at an eastern Pennsylvania toll booth so completely that it was not apparent at first that there even was a second vehicle. But there was, and a person inside was killed in this truck accident.
The crash took place near a toll plaza on the westbound side of Interstate 78. Witnesses reported seeing a semi truck weaving on I-78. Evidence at the scene suggests that the semi went through one of the toll lanes without stopping and crashed into a car.
The car was partially run over and the truck burst into flames. These factors combined to make it seem at first like only the truck was involved in the accident. But as the smoke cleared, state troopers found the car. Police say that a person inside the car died. Whether the victim was the driver or a passenger is not yet clear.
The truck driver was able to escape the fire. He was taken to the hospital, but a witness believed he was not seriously injured.
Just how he lost control of his semi truck will probably be the main question, as the investigation continues. Mechanical failure could be to blame, or weather might have been a factor. Or, the driver may have been neglecting his duty to be alert and careful behind the wheel.
If that was the case, he and his employer may be liable for this tragic truck accident. An out-of-control semi truck can cause a huge amount of damage and harm to the public, as this crash proves.
Source: The Express Times, “At least one fatality in fiery tractor-trailer wreck on Interstate 78, police say,” Sarah M. Wojcik and Tony Rhodin, Jan. 13, 2014