It's nearly unfathomable that a semi-truck driver would be the cause of a hit-and-run accident - mostly because the vehicles are so large and recognizable as well as slow (at least slower than a car that could speed off quickly). Yet hit-and-run semi-truck accidents do occur as in the following cases.
*In a nearby state a semi-truck driver sideswiped an elderly woman in a compact car in the early morning hours last week. The impact was so great it sent the tiny automobile careering across the median of the highway and directly into the path of another semi-truck where she was hit a second time. Surprisingly, she only suffered minor injuries.
Police are continuing to search for a semi that had a black cab and silver trailer. Unfortunately that description fits thousands of trucks.
*A young man driving a subcompact car was sideswiped by a semi-truck causing the young man to lose control of his vehicle and crash. He had to be removed from the car with the Jaws of Life. The semi-truck driver never stopped - and the only information the police have is that it was a Peterbilt truck.
*A teenage boy walking on the side of the interstate at night (a decidedly dangerous choice) was struck from behind by a semi-truck in a hit-and-run accident. After hitting the boy the semi then hit a smaller vehicle further down the road before speeding off without stopping. Little information about the truck is available other than it had a box trailer and may have had red markings on the side.
Statistics on the number of hit-and-run accidents that are ever solved are not very high - which is true with semi-trucks as well as other types of vehicles. If you suspect a semi-truck was involved in a hit-and-run accident contact the highway patrol or other law enforcement.
If you witness a truck accident get the license plate if you can or write down the Motor Carriers information on the 18-wheeler. Most of the time, with something to go on, police can locate a commercial truck driver who leaves the scene.
Greg Baumgartner is a Texas truck accident attorney and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping personal injury victims seek civil justice. If you would like to speak with a Houston auto accident lawyer call the Baumgartner firm.
