Tragedy struck three in one family in the central region of the Bluegrass State on Thursday, May 11. An accident between a semitruck and a passenger vehicle claimed the lives of the car’s driver and two passengers and injured another passenger.
According to a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman, at approximately 11:30 a.m., for reasons as yet undetermined, the eastbound semi driver crossed over the median and into the path of the westbound car in Bardstown in Nelson County.
The 72-year-old driver and his wife, 71, were killed, along with their 3-year-old granddaughter. Another grandchild suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is recovering after doctors at Norton Children’s Hospital performed surgery.
After the fatal collision, the westbound lanes were shut down for the next few hours until inclement weather forced crash reconstruction professionals to suspend their investigation. They are expected to resume work on Friday to determine what caused the semi to drift into the opposite lanes.
There can be many reasons for accidents like this to occur, including driver inattention or impairment, defective parts on the semitruck and violations of truck-driving Hours of Service regulations prompted by the greed of trucking companies that push drivers past the legal and safe limits.
Whether any of the above are applicable in the above case remaina to be seen. However, those who have been injured or have lost loved ones in accidents with large commercial trucks have the right to explore all of their legal options.
This could include filing claims for compensation or civil litigation against the trucking companies and drivers responsible for the injuries and fatalities.
Source: The Herald-Dispatch, “3 killed in central Kentucky crash on Bluegrass Parkway,” May 11, 2017