Mt. Dora, FL — Police identified Ashleigh Rowe as the girl who was hospitalized following an accident involving a tractor-trailer in Mt. Dora, Florida, on Friday, April 10, 2015. The accident took place on Highway 441 at Sadler Avenue.
According to local reports, a tractor-trailer being driven by 31-year-old Kenny Acosta and operated by Miami-based Y and D Trucking ran a red light before crashing into a pickup truck. This collision caused Acosta to lose control of the vehicle, which was hauling construction debris. The truck rolled over on the highway.
Rowe, 17, suffered serious injuries in the accident and was taken to Florida Hospital Waterman.
Police have cited Acosta for running a red light and say that more charges are pending. However, news outlets say that there may be more wrong here than just a bad driver.
An investigation of Y and D Trucking has shown that their out-of-service rates are eight times higher than the national average. The truck involved in this accident was using a tax-free diesel fuel the company wasn’t supposed to be using on the road. And Acosta hadn’t been logging in his hours, as drivers are required to do.
The company has been cited for five similar violations, all within the past year.
The accident is currently being investigated.
Scene of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary
Having a truck driver who can’t be bothered to watch the road and runs a red light before crashing into someone and sending them to the hospital is bad enough. In many cases, that’s more than enough to earn yourself a lawsuit. In this situation, however, it seems as if the problems go much, much deeper. News sources say this company has been cited for problems in the past. The driver wasn’t logging his hours. They were using a special kind of fuel they weren’t supposed to be using. In short, it seems as if Y and D Trucking has a problem cutting corners. And when a trucking company cuts corners, people get hurt.
Besides the driver, only one other person was injured in this crash. But the way the trucking company is conducting its business puts potentially thousands of others on the road at risk. This can’t be allowed to happen. If a trucking company is unwilling to conduct its business responsibly, then it shouldn’t be allowed to conduct any business at all.
In the end, this is reason that holding trucking companies responsible for their actions is so important. Holding the company responsible puts it under a microscope. That way, all of its problems can be examined, and hopefully, solved. I know that many don’t like having conversations like this. When talk to turns to lawsuits and taking people to court, they begin to feel that they’re using an accident to make money. I really think that people who choose to focus on that are missing the bigger picture. Holding a trucking company like this responsible for its actions helps to make sure that they don’t hurt other innocent people in the future. That’s the most important thing.
— Grossman Law Offices
