Monroe, NC — Roger Howell lost almost everything he owned after the horse-drawn buggy he was traveling in was hit by a tractor-trailer in Monroe, North Carolina, on Sunday, October 19, 2014. The accident happened near the intersection with Hargette Road, around 10:00 in the morning.
Howell — a Vietnam War vet who travels the country with his dog and horses in a buggy after being given a terminal diagnosis from Agent Orange exposure during the war — was taken to a nearby hospital and has since been released.
His horses and dog survived the accident, and a fundraiser was recently held to help get him back on his way to Niagra Falls, to which he was traveling when the accident occurred.
There’s been no work on the truck driver, or what exactly caused the accident to occur. Police are continuing to investigate.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
What caused this accident to occur? The victim was traveling in a horse-drawn buggy, so it’s safe to assume he wasn’t traveling in the middle of the highway. If he was traveling on the side of the road, or in the outside lane, and the truck came up behind him, or in the next lane over, there’s no reason the driver shouldn’t have been able to see him. He’s sitting seven feet in the air, and the accident happened around 10:00 in the morning. Was the driver paying attention to road? If not, why not? It may come as a surprise, or it may not, but accidents like this happen all the time, because a driver’s attention wasn’t where it was supposed to be. We don’t know what caused this particular accident, and we shouldn’t rush to judgement without all of the pertinent facts. But if it turns out this happened because of driver inattention, then the driver — and the trucking company he works for — need to be held accountable.
— Grossman Law Offices
