Morgantown, WV — Police have identified the Pennsylvania man who was critically injured last Friday in the tanker truck accident outside of Morgantown as 26-year old Casey Joseph. They said that Joseph, from Washington, PA, was badly burned when his tanker truck lost a tire and then crashed off I-79.
The truck then caught fire, according to the police. This happened at about 2:00 p.m. last Friday afternoon, May 8, 2015.
Joseph had been driving his tanker truck south along I-79 and was near mile marker 158 when one of his rear tires suddenly blew out. The tanker truck then lost control and went off the side of I-79, where it flipped over.
The wreck caused a fire to ignite in the tanker truck and Joseph was very seriously burned. He had to be flown to a nearby hospital and was in critical condition as of Monday, May 11.
The cause of the blown tire is still being looked into.
Map of the Accident (General Area)
Commentary:
Does anybody know more about what happened here? At first glance, I’d have to wonder what kind of shape this tire was in before it accidentally blew out. Was it completely worn out? Needed to be replaced? When was the last time the truck received maintenance work? The reason I’m asking these questions is that a blown tire may seem like a freak accident, but that’s not always the case. In lots of accidents involving blown tires, the person responsible for maintaining the truck incurs liability if he neglects his duties — though I’m not implying that’s the case here, merely stating what I’ve seen happen in the past.
— Grossman Law Offices
