Weld County, CO — Officers with the Colorado State Patrol have reported that on Monday, September 15, 2014, an accident between a logging truck and a pickup killed two women and left a man hospitalized. The accident happened at the intersection of Weld County Road 13 and Highway 14.
The accident took place just after five in the afternoon.
Authorities say that a Dodge Ram pickup truck was traveling east on Highway 14. As it came to the intersection with CR 13, it was broadsided by a logging truck and pushed into a ditch on the north side of the highway.
Two women inside the truck were killed. Authorities haven’t yet released their identities. A third person was pulled from the wreckage and airlifted to North Colorado Medical Center. Police say he was alert as he was being moved into the medevac chopper.
The driver of the truck was uninjured and refused medical treatment at the scene.
Highway 14 was closed for several hours while emergency workers cleared the wreckage and logs from the scene. The accident is still under investigation.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary:
There are a couple of details that haven’t been reported on here that could have a big impact on how this moves forward. From what’s been reported, it seems as if one of the vehicles failed to yield to the other. But which one? If it was the pickup truck, that’s one thing. If it was the logging truck, this turns into an entirely new animal.
If the logging truck is in the wrong, then we’re no longer dealing with just the driver, but the company that owns the truck. And it’s a sure thing that even if their driver was in the wrong, they’re still going to defend him. Why would they do that? Well, a commercial vehicle like that is going to be carrying quite a bit of insurance, and that’s money the trucking company can’t afford to just leave on the table. They’ve also got thousands and thousands of dollars invested in the truck and the driver himself. The trucking company’s primary concern is going to be its bottom line, and so they have no choice but to defend the driver. Again, if their driver is at fault for the accident, then they have nothing to lose by contesting liability – that is, putting up a fight.
— Grossman Law Offices
