Henrico, VA — A tractor-trailer driver had to be taken to the hospital after a crash in Henrico, Virginia, early in the morning of October 27. Reports say the accident happened on Interstate 95, around 12:30 am.
Not many details have been released, except to say that a tractor-trailer drove off the interstate. After leaving the road, the truck rolled down a hill, crashing into the foliage and catching on fire. Police are still investigating the accident, trying to figure out what may have caused the driver to leave the road.
Police haven’t released the name of the driver. He was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Emergency crews had the interstate closed off between Chamberlayne Avenue and Parham Road while they worked to clear the wreckage, and the interstate was opened back up around 4:00 in the afternoon on Monday, October 27.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
Reports say that the truck caught fire once it finally came to a stop. While there are definitely accidents where that sort of outcome is understandable, I have to ask myself if this is really one of them. Sometimes, especially in accidents where tractor-trailers are involved, the damage to the truck is necessarily a result of the accident, but the truck’s own structural deficiencies. The fact of the matter is, people talk about these things like they’re tanks, and the truth is, they’re not. These sorts of trucks have been plagued with safety concerns. In addition to issues with the cabs, one of those has been the placement of the fuel tanks.
The long and short of it is, you expect damage following an accident like this. But you have to wonder if all the damage here is a result of the actual accident. If any of it happened as a result of structural deficiencies in the truck, that’s not going to be the driver’s fault. It’s going to be the manufacturer’s. And they may find themselves being asked some questions about what happened here.
— Grossman Law Offices
