CENTRALIA, WA — Danielle and Louis McCollum were taken to the hospital after an accident with a tractor-trailer that happened in Centralia, Washington on Monday, March 23rd, 2015. News agencies out of the greater Lewis County area said that the accident happened at around 9:40 Monday morning.
Both 15-year-old Danielle McCollum, and 57-year-old Louis McCollum were hurt when the Prius they were in was hit by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 5. Police said that the the truck hit the Prius, which pushed it into a construction barrel nearby.
Louis McCollum was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries after the accident.
Washington State Police are investigating the accident.
Scene of the Accident
View of the Road
Commentary:
The news report isn’t exactly crystal clear when it comes to the facts reported in the accident, however, based on the few details we do have, it seems like the tractor-trailer may have rear-ended the victim’s vehicle, which, if true, would more than likely put the trucking company staring down the barrel of some pretty difficult questions. Rear-end accidents are almost always the responsibility of the rear vehicle for a variety of reasons. Speeding; not allowing enough distance to bring the massive truck to a complete stop from such a high rate of speed, or following too closely, which is essentially tailgating, not allowing enough distance to stop or slow down enough to avoid should the leading vehicle become suddenly stationary. In any case, the truck driver, and the company that entrusted him with such a massive vehicle need to answer for the driver’s actions if my inferences from the news report turn out to be accurate.
— Grossman Law Offices
