Truck accident on I-81 leaves six injured

Car and truck accidents can happen in an instant. Drivers always need to be vigilant of their surroundings to ensure that they and everyone around them are operating in a safe manner. This is especially true for Interstate highway driving, where vehicles are traveling at a higher speed. If drivers are distracted, they can fail to see if traffic ahead of them has come to a stop.

This appears to be the case in a recent truck accident in Hamblen County, Tennessee, near Knoxville. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a tractor-trailer driver is facing reckless driving charges after he slammed into a car on Interstate 81, causing a domino effect that ultimately left six people injured.

According to police reports, traffic was stopped on I-81, which the driver of the 18-wheeler did not see. His truck struck the rear of a car, which then rear-ended another car. In total, four vehicles were involved in the pileup, which caused all of the northbound I-81 to be closed to clear the wreckage.

The six injured included a Johnson City, Tennessee, couple, and four children who were riding in the car with them. The children’s ages are 11, 11, 9 and 5 years old. No more details on their conditions were available.

In this case, what appears to be negligence on the part of the truck driver did not lead to any fatalities. But a family transporting their children should not have to fear being struck by a negligent driver every time they use the Interstate. If they chose to do so, the family could be entitled to sue for monetary damages.

Source: WBIR 10, “One facing charges after weekend accident on I-81,” Oct. 17, 2011