A two-vehicle collision last month in Lincoln County killed a 29-year-old man and left a 6-month-old infant in critical condition fighting for his life.
According to reports from local media station WKYT, the wreck occurred on Memorial Day shortly before 8 p.m., in the vicinity of Tin Man Manufacturing on U.S. 150.
The man and his wife were headed westbound on their way to Stanford to take their grandchildren home. A truck headed east was hauling a camper in tow.
For reasons as yet undetermined, the truck’s camper disengaged and crossed over the median into the westbound lane. It collided head-on with the SUV carrying the family.
The man died at the scene of the accident. According to the Lincoln County sheriff, although the driver attempted to avoid disaster by taking evasive actions to get over on the shoulder, he didn’t have enough time to complete the maneuver before the camper struck the SUV.
The baby was life-flighted via helicopter to a local medical facility. The driver’s wife and another child also were injured and were taken by ambulance to the hospital. At this time, their conditions are not known.
The accident shut down U.S. 150 for several hours between State Route 1770 and Preachersville Road to allow the accident reconstruction team to complete their on-the-scene investigation.
The driver of the truck and a passenger were uninjured.
Trucks hauling trailers are required to take all precautions to secure their loads before heading out on the highway. Truckers should always inspect the trailer hitches for any deficiencies before attaching cargo.
Hitches need to be carefully locked and secured with a metal pin. It’s recommended that truckers use a back-up method to secure their trailers. Two criss-crossed chains hooking the truck to the trailer is a good back-up system that can prevent a tragedy.
Those who suffer injuries in an accident that was caused by a negligent truck driver have the right to pursue legal action through Kentucky’s civil court system.
Source: WKYT-TV, “One killed, three injured after bad crash in Lincoln County,” May 29, 2017