Although California is often defined by its oceans and trains, most residents of and visitors to the state get around by car or truck. The highways and roads of the Golden State are generally safe and populated by attentive drivers, but accidents can happen and the best drivers are those who can avoid dangerous conditions.
Some of the most potentially hazardous vehicles on the roads of California are tractor-trailers, dump trucks and other large mobile equipment that can cause serious damage, injury or death in the case of a collision, even at low speeds. Drivers of these trucks must gain and maintain high qualifications to ensure safety in and around these vehicles.
A collision just south of Tracy involving a tractor-trailer caused at least one fatality on the northbound side of Interstate 5. The collision occurred near the connection to Interstate 580 on a cloudy morning and caused much of the northbound section of the highway to be closed while emergency crews cleared the wreckage.
Photos of the accident scene show at least five vehicles were involved and one was crushed beneath a tractor-trailer cab. The semitruck remained with its front wheels resting on a flattened vehicle. The Modesto office of the California Highway Patrol is investigating.
The victims of truck accidents and the survivors of those killed in truck accidents have the right to seek financial restitution for monetary and emotional losses if a party is found to be at fault. An attorney can help lay out the legal requirements of a claim and advise victims and their families on the best way to proceed.
Source: Fox 40, “Fatal Accident Closes Lanes on Northbound I-5, South of Tracy,” Pedro Rivera, Jan. 9, 2018