BOISE, ID — One person was taken to the hospital after an accident with a tractor-trailer and two cars that happened in Boise, Idaho on Tuesday, December 16th, 2014. The news report from The Idaho Statesman said that the accident happened around 5:40 Tuesday morning.
One person was taken to the hospital when the car they were driving was hit by a tractor-trailer while driving on Interstate 84 near Gowen Road. Police have said that they have reason to believe the driver of the tractor-trailer fell asleep at the wheel when it struck two cars.
One person was taken by EMS personnel to a nearby hospital with unspecified injuries.
Idaho State Police are still investigating the accident.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary:
The news mentioned clearly that the driver of the tractor-trailer may have fallen asleep in the moments before the accident. If true, then I really want to know how long this driver had been on the road before the accident. There are limits set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act that limit the number of hours a trucker can be safely on the road. They determined that anything beyond these limits poses a threat to people on the road as well as the truckers themselves. Unfortunately, in the freight-moving industry, time is money, and the limits set by the FMCSA are used as an expectation for truck drivers. This is like racing a sports car to the edge of a cliff and hammering the brakes at the last second; it is playing with fire. If this trucker pushed himself too hard, or the trucking company behind him did, then the trucking company needs to be held responsible for violating laws that exist for no other reason than safety.
— Grossman Law Offices
