April 13, 2010

Elderly Marion Man Killed in Fatal Truck Accident

A Southern Illinois man was killed in a trucking accident on the morning of April 12th. The victim was an elderly man, 95 years old, and the accident occurred when he failed to yield at a stop sign causing his car to be struck by a tractor-trailer. The truck flipped on its side but the trucking driver only suffered minor personal injuries and is expected to recover fully according to WSIL TV. The elderly man was killed as a result of the injuries he sustained from the accident. The area of Route 148 where the fatal accident occurred was shut down for most of the day to clean up the gasoline spill from the tanker truck. To read more about this Williamson County trucking accident, please click on the link.

Many accidents, like the one above, are caused by elderly drivers whose reaction times may make it difficult for them to drive. If you are a elderly driver or have an elderly family member that is still driving, it is important to look for warning signs that may mean that you should not still be behind the wheel and be aware of safety tips for elderly drivers. Some of the things to look out for and be aware of how they can affect your driving are visual decline, hearing loss, limited mobility and increased reaction time, overall drowsiness, dementia and affects that medication may have on driving ability. All of these changes that often come with age can affect driving and it is very important to remember to respect these changes and make sure you are safe to drive. Certain tips are offered by Help Guide’s website to help elderly drivers make sure they are safe while driving and they include making sure that the car is right for you and that you are comfortable driving it, driving slowly and on familiar routes and maintaining distance from other cars, avoiding distractions that might take away from your concentration, and avoiding uncomfortable driving situations such as new areas, crowded streets, and weather problems. To read more about elderly drivers and tips to help avoid car accidents, please click on this hyperlink.

October 16, 2009

Deer Accident Leads to Diesel Fuel Spill

A trucking accident in Macomb early on the morning of October 11th led to a diesel fuel spill. According to The Peoria Journal Star, the semi-truck was heading northbound on US Route 67 when a deer ran into the truck’s path and the truck hit the deer. While minor damage was done to the front of the truck, the deer went under the truck, tearing a hole in the truck’s fuel line which caused the contents of the tank to spill. The spill was cleaned up by fire officials following this trucking accident.

August 27, 2009

Semi-trailer Crashes on Dan Ryan Expressway

State police had to shut down the northbound local lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago, Illinois after a semi-tractor trailer truck jack-knifed and spilled diesel fuel following the truck accident. The truck crashed when the driver lost control in the northbound local lanes of the rain-slicked highway. No other vehicles were involved and no one was personally injured in the truck accident. The Chicago Fire Department responded to a hazardous materials alarm and had to put down sand to clean up the 50 to 75 gallons of spilled diesel fuel. To read more about the truck accident, please click the link.

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April 21, 2009

Propane Truck Accident Near Chicago Closes Ramp to Expressway

According to a report on Chicago Breaking News, a propane truck was involved in an accident on April 20 in the Chicago suburb of Addison, IL. The accident happened after the driver lost control of the truck while getting on an entrance ramp to I-355. This caused the truck to rollover and block the ramp to the busy expressway. The driver was able to get out of the truck on his own and did not suffer serious injuries. No other vehicles were involved in the truck accident and no propane leaked from the tank of the truck. Visit the link to read more about this Chicago truck accident.

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April 17, 2009

Truck Accident Shuts Down Highway for Several Hours

A truck accident involving three tractor-trailers occurred on April 16. The accident shut down a highway roughly 70 miles south of Chicago for several hours while crews cleaned up hazardous materials that spilled onto the road during the crash. According to a report on CBS 2 Chicago, the accident was caused when the three trucks rear-ended each other. One of the trucks involved in the accident was carrying Pyridine. The report did not indicate whether anyone involved in the accident was injured. Read the full story of this trucking accident by following the hyperlink.

February 25, 2009

Tractor Trailer Carrying Hazardous Chemical Crashes in Southern Illinois

A truck accident in southern Illinois left a highway closed for several hours as hazmat teams responded to the threat of a chemical spill. The truck was carrying a hazardous chemical used in insecticides and crashed into the median of I-57. The truck was the only vehicle involved in the accident and no major injuries were reported. The accident occurred when the driver of the semi-truck fell asleep and the truck collided with the median. The road was opened several hours after the truck accident after hazmat teams transferred the truck’s load into another trailer. Read more about this truck accident.