WEST PLAINS, MO — One person was killed in a collision in West Plains, Missouri on Wednesday, May 28th, 2014, according to a news release from Ozark First.
Investigators have said that they have reason to believe David Harper was killed when a double haul tractor-trailer left the road and collided with another tractor-trailer after leaving the roadway and returning on Highway 63 around 5:30 Wednesday morning.
Scene of the Accident
David Harper was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency responders. The driver of the other tractor-trailer was identified as 51-year-old Gary Cooper, who currently faces drunk driving related charges in connection with the crash investigation.
Officials from the Missouri State Police are in charge of the crash investigation.
Commentary:
I for one would be very curious to take a look at the double trailer semi-truck in this accident. Tractor-trailers hauling one trailer is a complex enough operation, but when doubling the stress on the truck with a second load could have compounded things considerably. These commercial trucks suffer the same kind of mechanical problems that regular cars do, only they drive fivefold the distance that commuter cars do, and weigh thousands of times more. If this truck was not mechanically sound enough for two trailers, and an accident happened as a result, the trucking company could be liable for the accident if the facts line up in this order.
–Grossman Law Offices