According to several news outlets 59-year-old Neal Michaud was killed when his gasoline tanker truck jumped the guardrail on Route 1 and continued into oncoming traffic around 2:15 a.m. Saturday July 23. On-coming motorist 60-year-old Kevin Fitzgerald of South Hamilton was struck suffering severe burns.
The force of the accident caused the tanker to lose part of its contents spilling approximately 11000 gallons of gasoline onto Route 1. The accident and spill caused the fuel to ignite burning several pieces of property including greenhouses a home and some brush.
Motorist Kevin Fitzgerald was taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital where he stayed through the weekend.
The investigation is still on-going.
Approximate Site of the Accident
Commentary
An incident like this reveals the need for a proper investigation to be conducted. Only then can we answer questions like why and how did the trucker lose control of the rig. Was it the tanker truckers fault or was there a mechanical malfunction? The former would allow for a personal injury claim against the decedents employer while the latter would allow for a claim against the manufacturer.
Details are minimal at the moment but Id like to convey the many sides of an accidents story. Many just assume an accident is a simple property claim and thats the end of it. This is not the case with accidents involving commercial vehicles and victims of these types of wrecks should know the damages they can potentially collect.
Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
