As our readers know, truck accidents can be deadly, but this severity is multiplied in multi-vehicle accidents, especially when there is more than one large truck involved. Trucks, due to their large weight and height, pose great dangers to other drivers just because of their sheer size. Combine this with the high speeds at which vehicles travel on interstates, and accidents become even more dangerous.
According to a report by WSBTV, a multi-vehicle truck accident occurred on Interstate 85, killing a truck driver. Multiple tractor-trailers collided in the crash, creating a deadly impact. According to police reports, a Millis Transfer truck lost control when exiting I-285 west and jackknifed on I-85. At the same time, another tractor trailer that was headed north on I-85 could not stop and crashed into the truck. As a result of this collision, the Millis Transfer truck was cut in half, and the cab was crushed, which ultimately killed the driver. In fact, this collision so severely crushed the cab that investigators had to transfer the whole structure to the Medical Examiner, and the accident is still under investigation.
Truck accidents, particularly multi-vehicle crashes, account for a significant number of reported crashes, injuries, and fatalities. According to studies conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008 alone, 11% of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities involved large trucks. This means that every one out of nine traffic fatalities in 2008 resulted from collisions involving a large truck, such as a semi. Additionally, multiple-vehicle crash fatalities with large trucks accounted for 247 accidents.