February 22, 2010
CBS Channel 2
Big Rig Crashes into Stopped Car on 710 Freeway, Killing Motorist
A big rig collided with a stopped vehicle on the 710 Freeway in Commerce, California on Monday night, killing the motorist in the car. At about 9:20 p.m., the tractor trailer was traveling northbound on the freeway when it smashed into the car which was stopped on or near the shoulder, the Highway Patrol said. There were no reports of injuries. The fatal crash is under investigation.

February 19, 2010
North Country Gazette
Sleeping Woman Killed When Tractor Trailer Slams into Home
A tractor trailer ran into a house early Friday morning, killing a woman sleeping inside. According to police, a Freightliner tractor trailer hauling concrete forms was traveling east bound on State Route 23 in the town of Davenport, New York, when it lost control as it attempted a sharp left curve. The truck then ran through the shoulder, off the roadway and slammed into a single story home. The cement forms were dislodged form the flatbed trailer, killing a 46-year-old woman who lay sleeping in the residence. Two others inside the home, a woman and young child, were injured during the impact.. The fatal crash is under investigation.

February 18, 2010
Colorado County Citizen
Tractor Trailer Slams into Two Passenger Vehicles, Killing 3
Three people were killed on Interstate 10 in Colorado County, Texas on Wednesday when a Peterbilt tractor trailer drove through the center median and into oncoming traffic, colliding with a Toyota Landcruiser and a Chevrolet pickup truck. The crash killed the driver of the pickup as well as the driver and passenger of the Toyota. The driver of the big rig suffered only minor injuries. All three vehicles caught on fire and burned after the fatal impact, which occurred around 7:15 p.m. The fatal accident is under investigation.

February 10, 2010
Press Enterprise
Pedestrian Killed in Hit-and-Run involving Big Rig
Authorities say a tractor trailer struck and killed a pedestrian early Wednesday morning in Fontana, California, and did not stop. The pedestrian, a Hispanic man in his 40s, was found dead by a neighborhood resident at about 3 a.m. No eye-witnesses of the hit-and-run have come forward. Investigators were able to determine that a big rig was involved by studying tire tracks at the scene. The death is under investigation and anyone with information is encouraged to contact police.

February 2, 2010
KMTR Oregon
Tractor Trailer Strikes and Kills Child in Stroller
In a tragic accident, a child in a stroller was struck and killed by a big rig at about 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning at the intersection of Highway 99 and Old Highway 34 in Linn County, Oregon. According to police, the child was in a jogging stroller being pushed by his mother when the Freightliner turned right and hit the stroller. The mother was not harmed, but her two-year-old son was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is under investigation.

January 15, 2010
Pittsburgh Live
Tractor Trailer Runs Traffic Light in Pennsylvania,
Driver of Pickup Truck Hospitalized
A tractor trailer failed to stop at a traffic light in Rayburn, Pennsylvania, crashing into the driver’s side of a pickup truck. The driver of the pickup truck was removed from his vehicle and transported to a Pittsburgh hospital in an emergency helicopter with unspecified injuries. After colliding with the pickup truck, the 18-wheeler scraped three other vehicles as it attempted to swerve out of traffic’s way. No one else was injured. The accident is under investigation.

January 8, 2010
CBS Channel 2
Motorcyclist Killed in Collision with Big Rig
A motorcyclist was killed after colliding with a tractor trailer on the northbound 405 freeway in Lawndale, California on Friday morning. According to the California Highway Patrol, the big rig crashed into the center divider just north of Artesia Boulevard, blocking the car-pool lane. The motorcyclist was also traveling in the HOV lane and had no time to veer out of the way, authorities said. The motorcyclist died at the scene.

January 7, 2010
WKRC Channel 12, Cincinnati
One Dead After Big Rig Collides with Pickup Truck
A tractor trailer and a pickup truck collided just before noon today in Franklin County, Indiana, killing the driver of the pickup truck. The crash occurred when the big rig, carrying roofing materials, lost control on a curve while traveling on US Route 52. The trailer of the semi then swung into the path of the oncoming pickup truck. The fatal collision is under investigation.

January 7, 2010
NBC 4i
Commercial Tanker Collides with Bus, Killing Four and Injuring Seven
On Thursday afternoon, a commercial tanker and shuttle bus collided in Springfield, Ohio.  Four people were killed and another seven were sent to area hospitals for treatment. 

The collision occurred after a Mack commercial truck lost control as it traveled westbound on Interstate 70 at State Route 40.  The truck jackknifed and swerved over the median before hitting a passenger car and smashing into the bus, which was carrying nine passengers and the driver. 

The driver of the bus was killed, as well as three other passengers.  They were pronounced deceased at the scene. The other passengers of the motor coach bus were taken to hospitals with unspecified injuries.  The driver of the tanker was also taken to an area hospital for minor injuries, officials said.

Officials investigating the fatal collision have not yet said if weather was a factor in the crash.  At the time, many parts of Ohio were covered in up to 12 centimeters of snow 

The shuttle bus, a Chevrolet 17-seat motor coach, was en route to an assisted-living facility. It was returning from Creative Learning Workshop, a center that provides vocational services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, when the crash occurred.

January 4, 2010
Chicago Tribune
Steel Coil Falls from Tractor Trailer,
Crushing 2 Cars and Killing 3 People
Three people were killed when a steel coil fell from a tractor trailer and crushed two cars on state Highway 37 in Orange County, Indiana on Monday. According to Indiana State Police, the big rig was hauling steel coils when it rounded a curve. One of the steel coils then came loose and fell onto the passenger vehicles. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is conducting an investigation into the fatal accident.

December 30, 2009
The Riverbank News
Big Rig Strikes and Kills Pedestrian in Riverbank, California
An 18-wheeler tractor trailer struck a woman as she wheeled her bicycle through a pedestrian crosswalk at Atchison Street in Riverbank, California on Wednesday morning.  The big rig was making a right hand turn and failed to see the woman.  The truck then struck her and dragged her about 100 yards before she was run over by the wheels of the semi.  The driver of the big rig remained unaware and it was not until Caltrans workers saw the mangled bike under the big rig that the truck was waved down and stopped.

December 28, 2009
Three-Year-Old Boy Killed in Semi Crash, Family Seriously Injured
A three-year-old boy was killed on Monday after a tractor trailer rear-ended his family’s Toyota van on Interstate 95 in McIntosh County, Georgia.  The boy’s parents and two siblings were seriously injured in the crash, which occurred as the family headed to Florida for their vacation.  According to Georgia State Patrol, heavy traffic slowed the van to about 5 mph when the semi plowed into them.  Witnesses said the truck was traveling about 70 mph and seemed to never hit the brakes before hitting the Family van.  The driver of the truck could face criminal charges, a State Patrol officer said.

December 18, 2009
Las Cruces Sun-News
Trucker Convicted In New Mexico Crash that Killed Three
A New Mexico jury has convicted Eli German Flores, a San Diego truck driver, of three counts of vehicular homicide.  Flores now faces up to 21 years in prison for the October 2008 multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 10 that killed three people.  According to investigators, the tractor trailer driven by Flores was traveling over 70 mph while approaching a construction zone just before the crash occurred. 

December, 16 2009
KVEC 920 San Luis Obispo
Man Suffers Major Injuries in Highway 101 Tractor Trailer Crash
A 31 year-old man was seriously injured on Wednesday morning when a big rig collided with his vehicle in Northern San Luis Obispo County, California. According to the CHP, a big rig was traveling onto Highway 101, north of Paso Robles, when it struck a vehicle driven by Thomas Thein. Thein was critically injured during the collision and taken to the hospital. The southbound lanes of Highway 101 remained closed for a couple of hours while officials investigated the accident.

December 14, 2009
KETV Channel 7 Omaha
New Father Killed In Tractor Trailer Crash
A tractor trailer jackknifed and collided with a passenger vehicle on Monday, killing 37 year old Mark Wagner. Deputies said that the big rig was traveling on Highway 92 in Saunders County, Nebraska when it lost control and struck Wagner’s car at about 6 p.m. Icy roads contributed to the fatal accident, investigators said. According to officials, Wagner was the father of a new born baby.

December 13, 2009
New England Cable News
Truck Rolls Over Vehicle Critically Injuring Woman
A woman was critically injured on Sunday morning when an ice cream delivery truck rolled onto her car in Westwood, Massachusetts. According to officials, at about 8:30 a.m., the Gifford’s Ice Cream delivery truck hit a commuter train overpass and rolled onto the woman’s passenger vehicle.  The truck driver was not injured.

December 10, 2009
Lodi News-Sentinal
Motorist Seriously Injured after Being Struck Head-on by Big Rig
A man was seriously injured after his pick-up truck was struck head-on by a big rig on Thursday.  The crash occurred on Highway 12, west of Tower Park, in California.  According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of a Cherokee Freight Line big rig slammed on his brakes in an attempt to avoid traffic that had slowed.  As a result, the semi jack-knifed and collided head-on with the Nissan pick-up truck.  A medical helicopter took the driver of the Nissan to the hospital where he was treated for major injuries.  The driver of the big rig only suffered minor injuries.  Although the crash is under investigation, officials have said the driver of the big rig was driving at unsafe speeds when the accident occurred.

December 7, 2009
KPTV Fox Channel 12
Man Killed after Pick-up Truck and Semi Collide and Crash into Home
A man died on Monday after a tractor trailer ran a stop sign and hit his pickup truck in Marion County, Oregon.  The two vehicles then skidded along the road and went over a tree before plowing into a home.  The driver of the pick-up truck was taken to a hospital, where he later died.  The driver of the big rig escaped with minor scrapes and bruises.  The house was unoccupied at the time of the crash.

November 27, 2009
WBT.com
One Killed and Three Others Seriously Injured
in Crash Involving Waste Collection Truck
One person was killed and three others injured when a Charlotte City yard waste collection truck struck a 4-door sedan on Friday afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina.  According to reports, a Solid Waste Services truck driver lost control while making a right turn and crashed into a sedan carrying four people.  According to witnesses the truck landed on top of the passenger car, making it difficult for the emergency crew to rescue the people inside.  The driver of the car died at the scene and the three passengers received life threatening injuries.  The driver of the waste truck escaped with minor injuries.

November 17, 2009
KFOX Channel 14
Semi Collides with Military Bus, Seriously Injuring Bus Driver
An 18-wheeler tractor trailer collided with a military bus on Highway 54 in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday morning, seriously injuring the driver of the bus.  Two soldiers were also injured in the wreck.  According witnesses, the big rig struck the bus after pulling into the same lane. The bus then spun out of control, ejecting the bus driver, and crashed.

November 13, 2009
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Flatbed Truck Loses Control, Kills Veteran Sheriff’s Deputy
A veteran Indiana county sheriff was killed after his squad car was struck by an oncoming GMC flatbed truck on Indiana State Road 14.  Sgt. Jeffery Shaw, a Kosciusko County sheriff's deputy, was on a routine patrol when the driver of the GMC big rig lost control, crossed the center line and struck Shaw’s vehicle on the driver’s side door.  Both vehicles caught fire after the impact.  Shaw was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.  The driver of the truck escaped with minor injuries.

November 11, 2009
Buffalo News
Boston Motorist Killed After Big Rig Runs Stop Sign
A man was instantly killed when a tractor trailer drove through a stop sign and collided with his pickup truck on Tuesday evening.  The driver of the semi, Daniel Taft, failed to stop at a stop sign in Concord, Boston, moments before crashing into the other vehicle.  Boston state police are investigating the accident.  No drugs or alcohol appear to have played a role in the fatal collision, officials said. 

November 9, 2009
Fox 17 / WZTV Nashville
2 putting in guardrail killed in East Tenn.
Two highway workers who were tightening cable on a traffic barrier along Interstate 75 north of Knoxville, Tennessee, were killed when a commercial truck pulling a 20-foot flatbed trailer, veered off the highway. One northbound lane and both southbound lanes of I-75 were closed while state troopers investigated the cause of the crash.  The driver of the truck was treated for minor injuries.

November 6, 2009
Examiner-Enterprise
2 injured in accident on U.S. 75
A northbound traffic control truck was rear-ended by a Kenworthy truck on Highway 75 near Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  The Kenworthy came to rest in the median. The construction vehicle travelled across both southbound lanes and stopped just off the highway.  One highway worker was injured.  The Kenworthy's driver was transported to Tulsa's St. Francis Hospital via Life Flight.  His condition is listed as serious but stable.

November 6, 2009
Pasadena Star-News
Coroner identifies man killed on eastbound 210 in Irwindale
A 34-year-old man was killed by a big-rig on the 210 in Irwindale, CA. Lavonte Ford had pulled off to the shoulder after his vehicle broke down and was attempting to exit his car when he was struck. The truck driver stopped and called 911; but Los Angeles County firefighters pronounced Ford dead at the scene.  An investigation into the cause of the truck accident is in progress.

September 11, 2009
Stargazette.com
Taxi driver critical after Horseheads crash
The driver of a taxi minivan is in critical condition following a crash in Horseheads, NY.  The minivan was in an intersection when it was struck by a dump truck. The dump truck's driver sustained no injuries.  A passenger in the taxi was treated for minor injuries and released from St. Joseph's Hospital.

September 10, 2009
Daily Nonpariel
Woman killed in freak accident
One woman was killed and one man seriously injured when a set of wheels flew off a passing trailer truck.  The wheels crossed over to the median and struck a Nebraska Department of Roads pickup truck.  53-year-old Robyn Pittman of North Platte, Nebraska was standing beside the parked pickup and was killed by the impact.  The driver of the trailer truck, unaware that the wheels had come off his vehicle, was stopped, ordered off the road and cited for 16 violations.

September 9, 2009
WPXI Pittsburgh
Police ID Victim In Fatal Route 837 In Union Township
A 48-year-old man was ejected from his pickup truck and killed when a box truck crashed into his vehicle in Union Township, Pennsylvania.  The box truck crossed into the northbound lane, colliding with two pickup trucks.  A section of Route 837 was closed while cleanup crews removed the wreckage and fuel from the highway. 

September 8, 2009
Local 12, Cincinnati
Crash Slow Traffic on I-75 Near Union Centre
Several people were injured in a tractor-trailer accident on the I-75. The truck crossed the median, causing accidents in both the north and southbound lanes before coming to rest on the northbound side, perpendicular to the highway.  The extent of the injuries have not yet been released.

September 6, 2009
CBS Channel 42
Crash Victim Falls from Interstate Bridge
Four 18 wheelers and five passenger vehicles were involved in a crash on an I-20 bridge in Alabama.  The accident began as a one vehicle wreck.  The occupants were not injured, but several other vehicles had stopped on the roadway.  An 18 wheeler came down the hill very quickly and was unable to stop, striking the stopped vehicles and injuring several individuals.  One victim was startled and fell off the bridge approximately 45 feet, sustaining lower extremity fractures. He was assessed and treated before transport to UAB's trauma unit. 

September 2, 2009
Pennlive.com
York Haven woman dies
in crash at Exit 28 of Interstate 83
An 82-year-old woman was killed Wednesday afternoon in a tractor-trailer crash on Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Trail at Exit 28. Her car collided with the big rig which had crossed her line of travel.  Northern York Regional Police are looking for anyone with information regarding the truck accident.

September 1, 2009
KRNV Channel 4
Four-vehicle crash near Truckee kills 1, sends 2 more to hospital
California Highway Patrol is currently investigating the cause of a four car accident on State Route 89 near Truckee Tuesday morning.  A three-axel truck traveling south crossed the double yellow line and crashed into a northbound four-door Chevrolet, killing the driver.  A Volvo driving behind the Chevrolet swerved to avoid the primary collision, but crossed into the opposite lane, hitting a pick-up truck.  The driver of the three-axel sustained major injuries and was air-lifted to Renown Medical Center in Reno.  The driver of the Volvo was also hopsitalized.

August 31, 2009
KERO Channel 23
Police: Out-Of-Control Driver Kills Man Fixing Van
The driver of a van who was looking under the hood following engine failure, was fatally injured when a white box-styled truck veered off the SR-58 roadway near Bakersfield, CA and struck the disabled vehicle parked on the shoulder.  The truck fled the scene of the accident and has not yet been located.

August 31, 2009
Pennlive.com
Search warrant secured in probe of
fatal I-81 crash in Cumberland County
Pennsylvania state police have secured a search warrant to determine whether to bring criminal charges against the driver of a tractor-trailer involved in the August 28 fatal collision on I-81 near Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  The accident occurred when the northbound big rig crossed the median and crashed into an oncoming pickup truck and a minivan.  The search warrant will allow officers to obtain download speed and braking information from the vehicle's engine control module.  

August 24, 2009
KERO Channel 23
Big Rig Loses Brakes, Slams Into Cars, Kills 1
One woman was killed and three others injured Sunday, August 23, when a big rig travelling on the northbound lane of California's I-5 Grapevine lost its brakes and slammed into dozens of cars. The truck was unable to exit onto the escape ramp.  One car was completely destroyed; its driver, a 67-year-old woman, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.  California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the accident.

August 21, 2009
Fredericksburg.com
Trucker Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter
On August 20, 2009 the driver of a Peterbuilt semi was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Virginia's Stafford Circuit Court.  A 57-year-old woman was killed on February 2, 2009 when the 18-wheeler carrying 83,000 pounds of sand with no working front brakes ran a red light and crashed into her car. Evidence revealed that the driver knew his brakes were not properly fuctioning at the time of the accident.  The driver is facing a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. 

August 20, 2009
WKXII Channel 12
1 dead, 1 arrested in motorcycle / semi accident on U.S. 75 in Sherman
A 22-year-old motorcyclist was declared dead at the scene after a semi truck made an unsafe lane change on the northbound I-75 near Sherman, TX.  The motorcyclist was forced into the guardrail and then ejected from the bike.  The driver of the semi was arrested and faces charges of negligent homicide.

August 17, 2009
The Daily Ardmoreite
Semi backs into highway worker on Interstate 35
A 34-year-old construction worker was airlifted to OU Medical Center in Okalhoma City after a Peterbuilt semi backed into him in a construction zone near the 49 mile marker.  The construction worker suffered chest injuries and was admitted in serious condition.  The cause of the accident has been listed as improper backing.

August 17, 2009
WTOL Channel 11
Semi driver arrested in deadly Williams Co. crash
The driver of a semi is facing vehicular manslaughter charges after leaving the scene of a fatal accident on the Ohio Turnpike in Williams County.  The semi rear ended a Ford Focus which flipped over into a ditch.  A 20-year-old passenger was thrown from the car and killed.  Five other passengers were injured.  According to police, the driver initially stopped at the scene, but then drove off.  State Troopers stopped the truck 13 miles east of the accident.

August 14, 2009
I-80 collision in south-central Nebraska kills 2
A semi travelling in the westbound lane of Interstate 80 near Kearney, Nebraska went out of control, crossed the median and struck a vehicle in the eastbound lane.  The truck driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.  Both the driver and the passenger in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.  Nebraska State Patrol is trying to determine why the truck went out of control.

August 12, 2009
Lansing State Journal:  Chain-reaction Crash on I-96 Snarls Traffic
Two people were taken to the hospital after a tractor trailer rear ended a passenger vehicle in the westbound lane of Interstate 96 in Clinton County, Michigan, causing a five vehicle pileup which involved three other passenger vehicles and another tractor trailer.  Traffic was diverted from the interstate and delayed for three hours while emergency crews removed the damaged vehicles from the scene.  Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash.

July 13, 2009
WKBT CBS News Channel 8
Fifteen People Injured After Bus is Struck by Tractor-Trailer
Fifteen people were injured when a charter bus collided with a tractor-trailer in a highway west of Manhattan, Arkansas on Monday, July 13, 2009.  The bus, carrying students in a job training program, overturned and burst into flames after being struck by a truck carrying construction materials.  Aboard the bus were students from the Flint Hills Job Corps Center in Manhattan which were returning home from a trip to Kansas City.  The bus had made a legal U-turn right before it was struck, the Kansas Highway Patrol said.

May 1, 2009
Truck Safety Coalition
Petition by Truck Safety Advocacy Group Urges
Congress to Maintain Current Truck Size and Weight Limits
The Truck Safety Coalition is asking the public to sign a petition to the U.S. Congress regarding a multi-billion dollar surface transportation bill that will be considered this year.  According to the petition, trucking interests are lobbying Congress to increase truck size by an additional 17,000 lbs, which will result in more dangers to motorists and truck drivers, as well as more damage to our roads, bridges, environment and our overall health.  The petition strongly urges Congress to keep the current federal truck size and weight limits.  It also asks Congress to support the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Protection Act (SHIPA), which will help to protect lives as well as infrastructure.  The Truck Safety Coalition is a national truck safety advocacy group “dedicated solely to improving public policy on all aspects of motor carrier safety issues — the vehicle, the driver, and the roadway environment.”  To read and sign the petition click here :
http://www.stopbiggertrucks.org/action/petition.php.

April 22, 2009
KABC TV Channel 7 Los Angeles
CHP Launches Public Awareness of
Commercial Trucks Safety Program
At a press conference held on April 22, 2009, in Irvine, California, the California Highway Patrol launched its Public Awareness of Commercial Trucks (PACT) program, which will educate drivers on avoiding crashes with big rigs.  According to the CHP, more than 75 percent of truck-related fatalities are caused by passenger vehicle drivers.  The CHP joins with the California Truckers Association in the education effort, which will provide seminars on vehicle safety around commercial trucks.

March 30, 2009
SitNews.us
Tens of Thousands of Medically Unfit Truck Drivers on Road
Despite medical conditions that would ban them from the road, tens of thousands of big-rig operators continue to drive trucks across the country, endangering lives.  According to investigations by E.W. Scripps television stations, not until 2012 will there be a national database of medical certification and verification of medically unfit commercial drivers.  Even then, say officials, it would be difficult to identify if drivers have had legitimate medical examinations or if they were honest about their medical history at their examinations. 

According to researchers, among the most common conditions truckers’ suffer are heart disease, serious neurological problems and sleep disorders. From April 2001 through December 2003, truck drivers’ heart attacks or other physical impairments caused over 4,000 serious truck crashes.  Another 5,000 crashes were caused when a big-rig driver nodded off behind the wheel.  Currently, the system in place to correct this problem is seriously flawed, allowing medically unfit big-rig drivers to slip through the cracks, and continue driving on our nation’s roads.


March 20, 2009
KATC.com
$7 Million Awarded to Traumatic
Brain Injury Victim in 2004 Big Rig Crash
According to the Associated Press, a state appellate court awarded more than $7 million to a former Baton Rouge resident who was severely injured in a 2000 collision with an 18-wheeler on Interstate 12 in Livingston Parish.  On March 20, Brian Shane Brewer, who suffered serious brain injury and other injuries during the crash, was found 40 percent at fault for the accident while J.B Hunt Transportation Inc., and Robert Jackson, the driver of the big rig, were found 60 percent liable.  A three-judge panel awarded Brewer more than $13 million and then reduced the award by 40 percent, the amount Brewer was at fault for the crash.