PLEASANT HILL, OR — A pickup truck driver was killed in a collision with a tractor-trailer that happened in Pleasant Hill, Oregon on Tuesday, July 8th, 2014, according to the news report from Oregon Live.
Oregon Police think that 55-year-old Timothy Fine was killed when the pickup truck he was driving is believed to have collided with a tractor-trailer after one of the vehicles crossed the dividing line of traffic while driving on Highway 58 around 5:15 in the evening Tuesday. Both vehicles engulfed in flames after the crash.
Scene of the Accident
The driver of the pickup truck was later identified as Timothy Fine, who died in the accident. Both the driver and the passenger of the tractor-trailer were hurt in the crash and were taken by paramedics to nearby Sacred Heart Medical Center for minor injuries.
The Oregon State Police was assisting with the crash along with the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Commentary:
With this accident, considering that the vehicles erupted into flames after the accident, I’d be very curious to peer into the wreckage and trace the source of the fire. Why? If the fire originated in the victim’s pickup truck, then there would be a clear point of origin, and the truck’s manufacturer could bear the liability. What is more likely however, is the fire originating in the tractor-trailer, which is not built or designed with nearly the amount of safety consideration than commuter cars. In fact, mounted below the doorjamb of the semi-truck is usually a large metal cylinder or metal barrel that houses fuel. This tank is open and exposed to the open road and any vehicle that has the misfortune of rupturing it. If this gas tank blew, the truck’s manufacturer could be faulted for their faulty design.
–Grossman Law Offices
