• 18
  • January
    2012

A 21-year-old of Wampum, Pennsylvania, is currently in a Pittsburgh hospital suffering from internal injuries caused by an accident between the pickup he was driving and a semitrailer. As of now, police have said there is reason to believe that the truck accident may have been caused by the driver of the tractor-trailer disregarding a traffic signal.

The accident happened on Monday morning on Route 51. The 21-year-old was turning onto the road, when his pickup was hit by the semitrailer. A police chief said that it seems the tractor-trailer had a steady red light at the time of the crash. However, an investigation is still ongoing, and no charges have been filed.

After the crash, the 21-year-old was flown by a medical helicopter to UPMC Pittsburgh Presbyterian. He is currently listed in critical condition with internal injuries.

In general, when there is an accident between a truck and a vehicle, it's the person who is in the passenger vehicle who is quite often at the greatest risk for injury or death. In fact, in this crash, while the 21-year-old is in critical condition, it does not appear that the 49-year-old truck driver was even injured.

When looking at truck accidents, like this one, one has to wonder why the driver of the truck did not stop in time. Was he tired and not paying attention? Was there something wrong with the brakes on the truck that prevented him from stopping? What could have been done differently to prevent this accident from ever happening?

Looking to the future, these are most likely some questions that will be addressed. And while citations could end up being issued, there is also the chance that the truck driver, and the trucking company he works for, will end up being held liable for the injuries the 21-year-old sustained in the crash.

Source: Beaver County Times, "Wampum man in critical condition after pickup-semi collision," Jenny Wagner, Jan. 16, 2012