Guntersville, AL — One person was taken to a hospital with critical injuries while two others were hospitalized with serious injuries this Tuesday morning, September 8, 2015. Police in Guntersville said that an 18-wheeler truck accidentally crashed into a corrections van.
This happened at about 2:30 a.m., at the intersection of U.S. 69 and U.S. 431, or Henry Street and Florida Short Route.
According to the reports that have been released so far, an 18-wheeler truck was headed along U.S. Highway 69 that morning when the driver blew through a flashing red light at the intersection with U.S. 431.
The truck collided with a corrections van that was carrying 12 people. Of the passengers, 3 were rushed to local hospitals.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 1 person was in critical condition while the 2 others were in serious condition. The truck driver hasn’t been identified and it’s unclear if he’ll face charges for running the red light.
Map of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary:
I don’t know about this area of the country, but where I’m from, a flashing red light means “STOP.” Folks, I don’t mean to sound sarcastic here, but I’m frankly a little shocked that a professional truck driver would make an error this serious — I mean, someone might’ve been killed.
The main concern I have here is the kind of trucking company that would hire a driver who, in turn, would make a mistake like this. People often think that accidents like this are dealt with at the surface level, but there are often deeper problems that must be addressed. In many of the cases we handle, negligent truck drivers end up being a by-product of an employer who just isn’t all that concerned with safety. Things like lax or non-existent safety policies, no accountability, and a “get it down ASAP” attitude make a recipe for accidents waiting to happen.
— Grossman Law Offices
