January 24, 2010
WTHR Eyewitness News: Tractor Trailer Collides with Passenger Van,
Killing 2 and Injuring 16 Others
A tractor trailer struck the back of a full size passenger van on interstate 65 in Shelby County, Indiana on Sunday morning, killing two people inside the van.  The crash also injured another 16 people who were taken to area hospitals. Some of the injuries were reported as critical. The crash occurred as both the van and the big rig were traveling northbound on I-65. Witnesses say the van appeared to slow before it was struck from behind and pushed off the roadway by the truck. According to witnesses, the tractor trailer was weaving on the highway before the fatal collision occurred. The driver of the truck received minor injuries. The fatal crash is under investigation.

January 21, 2010
The Southern: One Person Killed in Head On Collision Between Red Cross Truck and Semi
A 28 year-old man was killed when an American Red Cross box truck and a semitrailer collided on Wednesday afternoon on Illinois 3 in Alexander County, Illinois. State police report that the Red Cross truck was traveling southbound when it crossed the center lane and slammed head-on with the big rig. The head on collision killed the passenger of the Red Cross box truck who was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Red Cross truck and the driver of the tractor trailer were injured, authorities said. The fatal collision is being investigated.

January 7, 2010
NBC 4i: 4 Killed, 7 Injured After Semi and Bus Crash
Four people were killed and another seven injured when a commercial truck crashed into a bus at about 1 p.m. on Thursday. The crash occurred when a Mack commercial tanker truck lost control and jackknifed as it was traveling on Interstate 70 in Springfield, Ohio. It then crossed the median onto oncoming traffic and hit a passenger vehicle before smashing into the 2008 Chevrolet 17-seat bus. There were nine passengers and a driver aboard the bus, which was a shuttle bus from the Creative Learning Workshop, a center that provides vocational services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The driver of the bus and three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene and another seven people, including the driver of the semi, were taken to area hospitals with unspecified injuries. The fatal crash is under investigation.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/01/07/special-needs-crash.html

November 30, 2009
AZ Daily Sun:  Semi Truck Loses Control, Seriously Injures DPS Officer
A semi truck was traveling southbound on Interstate 17 in Arizona when it lost control and hit a state Department of Public Safety officer.  The officer, Ken Henscheid, 40, was investigating another collision in the southbound lanes when the big rig slid across the median and struck him at about midnight on Sunday.  Officer Henscheid was seriously injured and on Sunday morning was listed in critical but stable condition at Flagstaff Medical Center.

Nov 16, 2009
KPVI Channel 6 NBC News:  Man Injured in Dump Trunk Accident
Awarded $1.8 Million In Court Case
An Idaho Falls man was awarded $1.8 million for a 2006 crash involving a Cedarpoint Construction dump truck that nearly killed him.  The crash occurred when the man crashed his motorcycle into the dump truck, which according to the prosecutors, had not properly stopped at a stop sign to let the motorcycle by.  After a two week trial in the Bonneville County Courthouse, the jury agreed and ordered Cedarpoint Construction to pay the $1.8 million.

September 8, 2009
Local 12, Cincinnati: Crash Slow Traffic on I-75 Near Union Centre
Several people were injured in a tractor-trailer accident on the I-75. The truck crossed the median, causing accidents in both the north and southbound lanes before coming to rest on the northbound side, perpendicular to the highway.  The extent of the injuries have not yet been released.

September 6, 2009
CBS Channel 42: Crash Victim Falls from Interstate Bridge
Four 18 wheelers and five passenger vehicles were involved in a crash on an I-20 bridge in Alabama.  The accident began as a one vehicle wreck.  The occupants were not injured, but several other vehicles had stopped on the roadway.  An 18 wheeler came down the hill very quickly and was unable to stop, striking the stopped vehicles and injuring several individuals.  One victim was startled and fell off the bridge approximately 45 feet, sustaining lower extremity fractures.  He was assessed and treated before transport to UAB's trauma unit. 

September 1, 2009
KRNV Channel 4: Four-vehicle crash near Truckee kills 1, sends 2 more to hospital
California Highway Patrol is currently investigating the cause of a four car accident on State Route 89 near Truckee Tuesday morning.  A three-axel truck traveling south crossed the double yellow line and crashed into a northbound four-door Chevrolet, killing the driver.  A Volvo driving behind the Chevrolet swerved to avoid the primary collision, but crossed into the opposite lane, hitting a pick-up truck.  The driver of the three-axel sustained major injuries and was air-lifted to Renown Medical Center in Reno.  The driver of the Volvo was also hopsitalized.

August 31, 2009
Pennlive.com:  Search warrant secured in probe of fatal I-81 crash in Cumberland County
Pennsylvania state police have secured a search warrant to determine whether to bring criminal charges against the driver of a tractor-trailer involved in the August 28 fatal collision on I-81 near Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  The accident occurred when the northbound big rig crossed the median and crashed into an oncoming pickup truck and a minivan.  The search warrant will allow officers to obtain download speed and braking information from the vehicle's engine control module.

August 24, 2009
KERO Channel 23: Big Rig Loses Brakes, Slams Into Cars, Kills 1
One woman was killed and three others injured Sunday, August 23, when a big rig travelling on the northbound lane of California's I-5 Grapevine lost its brakes and slammed into dozens of cars. The truck was unable to exit onto the escape ramp.  One car was completely destroyed; its driver, a 67-year-old woman, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.  California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the accident.

August 21, 2009
Fredericksburg.com:  Trucker Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter
On August 20, 2009 the driver of a Peterbuilt semi was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Virginia's Stafford Circuit Court.  A 57-year-old woman was killed on February 2, 2009 when the 18-wheeler carrying 83,000 pounds of sand with no working front brakes ran a red light and crashed into her car. Evidence revealed that the driver knew his brakes were not properly fuctioning at the time of the accident.  The driver is facing a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. 

May 1, 2009
Truck Safety Coalition: Petition by Truck Safety Advocacy Group Urges Congress
to Maintain Current Truck Size and Weight Limits
The Truck Safety Coalition is asking the public to sign a petition to the U.S. Congress regarding a multi-billion dollar surface transportation bill that will be considered this year.  According to the petition, trucking interests are lobbying Congress to increase truck size by an additional 17,000 lbs, which will result in more dangers to motorists and truck drivers, as well as more damage to our roads, bridges, environment and our overall health.  The petition strongly urges Congress to keep the current federal truck size and weight limits.  It also asks Congress to support the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Protection Act (SHIPA), which will help to protect lives as well as infrastructure.  The Truck Safety Coalition is a national truck safety advocacy group “dedicated solely to improving public policy on all aspects of motor carrier safety issues — the vehicle, the driver, and the roadway environment.”  To read and sign the petition click here :
http://www.stopbiggertrucks.org/action/petition.php

April 22, 2009
KABC:  CHP Launches Public Awareness of Commercial Trucks Safety Program
At a press conference held on April 22, 2009, in Irvine, California, the California Highway Patrol launched its Public Awareness of Commercial Trucks (PACT) program, which will educate drivers on avoiding crashes with big rigs.  According to the CHP, more than 75 percent of truck-related fatalities are caused by passenger vehicle drivers.  The CHP joins with the California Truckers Association in the education effort, which will provide seminars on vehicle safety around commercial trucks.

April 03, 2009
Fox News: Two People Killed After Big Rig Traveling on Prohibited Road
Smashes into Neighborhood Bookstore
An out-of-state truck driver was arrested Thursday, April 2, 2009, after traveling on a prohibited road and smashing his big rig into a bookstore, killing two and injuring a dozen others, three critically. Marcos Costa,43, of Everett, Mass, was traveling over the San Gabriel Mountains on Angeles Forest Highway when he ignored vehicle limitation signs and used a forbidden narrow route. The truck, which was hauling cars, was traveling down a steep grade when its brakes burned out, causing the rig to go out of control and smash into a several cars, a book store and a coffeehouse in La Canada Flintridge, California. Costa remains in jail pending an investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony reckless driving. This is the second big rig to lose control on the forbidden mountain route in the past six months, spurring concerns about the safety of the road and the effectiveness of posted warning signs.

April 2, 2009
Trucker.com: Sleep Apnea Screening for Truck Drivers Backed by New Study
Results of a new study published on April 2, 2009 confirm previous research that obesity-driven testing pinpoints commercial truck drivers with a high likelihood of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  The study, which appears in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, also suggests that requiring OSA screenings could reduce the risk of truck crashes resulting from driver fatigue. OSA is a syndrome common among truck drivers, with up to 3.9 million licensed commercial drivers in the U.S. expected to have OSA.  Sleep apnea results in excessive daytime fatigue, sleep attacks and disrupted nigh-time sleep.  According to experts, truck drivers with OSA are up to seven times more likely of being involved in a motor vehicle crash.  Researchers also found that symptoms of OSA were often minimized or under-reported, leading them to conclude that “it is possible that many of the 14 million truck drivers on American roads have undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea.”  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is now considering implementing a mandated sleep apnea screening for all commercial truck drivers based on body mass index.

March 30, 2009
SitNews.us: Tens of Thousands of Medically Unfit Truck Drivers on Road
Despite medical conditions that would ban them from the road, tens of thousands of big-rig operators continue to drive trucks across the country, endangering lives.  According to investigations by E.W. Scripps television stations, not until 2012 will there be a national database of medical certification and verification of medically unfit commercial drivers.  Even then, say officials, it would be difficult to identify if drivers have had legitimate medical examinations or if they were honest about their medical history at their examinations.  According to researchers, among the most common conditions truckers’ suffer are heart disease, serious neurological problems and sleep disorders. From April 2001 through December 2003, truck drivers’ heart attacks or other physical impairments caused over 4,000 serious truck crashes.  Another 5,000 crashes were caused when a big-rig driver nodded off behind the wheel.  Currently, the system in place to correct this problem is seriously flawed, allowing medically unfit big-rig drivers to slip through the cracks, and continue driving on our nation’s roads.

March 23, 2009
WWBM News Radio 780: Jury Awards $23.75M for a 2004 Fatal Crash Caused by Big Rig
A verdict of $23.75 million was awarded by a Will County jury to the estate of two men who were killed in a deadly 2004 crash involving a big rig.  The crash, which happened on April 1, 2004, killed two men and severely injured another on the Stevenson Expressway near southwest suburban Plainfield when the driver of a semi truck smashed into the back of nearly stopped traffic.  The verdict was rendered against the company and driver of the 40-ton semi truck involved in the crash.

March 20, 2009
KATC.com: $7 Million Awarded to Traumatic Brain Injury Victim in 2004 Big Rig Crash
According to the Associated Press, a state appellate court awarded more than $7 million to a former Baton Rouge resident who was severely injured in a 2000 collision with an 18-wheeler on Interstate 12 in Livingston Parish.  On March 20, Brian Shane Brewer, who suffered serious brain injury and other injuries during the crash, was found 40 percent at fault for the accident while J.B Hunt Transportation Inc., and Robert Jackson, the driver of the big rig, were found 60 percent liable.  A three-judge panel awarded Brewer more than $13 million and then reduced the award by 40 percent, the amount Brewer was at fault for the crash.

March 17, 2009
Fredericksburg.com: Owner and Operator of Tractor Trailer
Involved in Fatal Crash Charged with Manslaughter
Manslaughter charges were filed on March 16, 2009, against James Edgar Smith, 58, the driver of a big rig involved in a fatal crash in Stafford that killed Susan Lee Haines, 57.  The crash occurred on February 2, 2009, at the intersection of U.S. 17 and Poplar Road where a tractor trailer owned and operated by Smith ran a red light and crashed into a vehicle driven by Haines.  Smith is charged with reckless driving and knowingly driving the tractor trailer with defective brake equipment.  Medication bottles were also seized from Smith’s personal items.

January 5, 2009
Wyoming Tribune Eagle: Runaway big rig crashes into 11 cars, injuring 11
Eleven people were injured when a runaway big rig smashed into 11 vehicles on a foggy California highway on Wednesday. The truck driver reported break failure caused the crash on Interstate 5 in mountains northwest of Los Angeles. Four of the injured sustained serious injuries and all 11 people injured were hospitalized. Authorities suspect the heavy fog to be a contributing factor since visibility was reported to be as low as 250 feet. Investigators will also examine the truck’s brakes to determine if they were a factor in the cause of the accident.