Randolph, MA — There was a serious accident reported along Route 24/Fall River Expressway this past Friday (Feb. 20, 2015) that left a driver in a black car with serious injuries. Police are saying that a semi-truck lost two tires as it was driving along Route 24 that morning.
The accident happened near Exit 20 for SR 139, they said. The details of what happened, exactly, aren’t being released yet, but the news is reporting that the rear axle of a semi-truck came loose on Route 24.
As it did, the rear tires on the truck came loose and crashed into a small, black sedan. The driver of the black car was serious injuries and had to be taken to a hospital for treatment. Their name and condition weren’t released.
The semi-truck driver hasn’t been identified either and it’s not clear if he’ll face charges or not.
Map of the Accident (Approximate Site)
Commentary:
If I’m reading this correctly, it looks like the tires came off the truck in front of this person’s car. Folks, I’m no mechanic, but I’m fairly certain that that semi-truck needs to be inspected for mechanical failures and potentially defects or malfunctions.
Beyond that, though, I think it would be prudent to look at the service and maintenance records for this truck. At the end of the day, someone was responsible for making sure this truck was roadworthy and it looks like they may have failed in a pretty big way. I know from experience that a lot of commercial trucks are pushed many extra miles before they get their routine maintenance and checkups. Just think of how often you probably change your oil in your car. It’s supposed to be with some degree of frequency, but it’s often easier (and cheaper) to let it go until next time. That’s the same kind of philosophy that businesses get when things are stressed or there’s a high demand for trucks on the road.
I’m not saying that this truck belonged to a company that didn’t take care of it, but it’s definitely something that needs to be looked into. This kind of accident doesn’t just happen every day, something when majorly wrong here. The driver who was injured would likely have a claim against 1) the truck driver, 2) potentially the company he worked for and 3) the company responsible for the maintenance on the truck.
— Grossman Law Offices
