According to WKRN-TV, a tractor-trailer ran off the road recently on Charlotte Pike and crashed near a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Nashville.
The news source reported that the accident occurred on August 28 around 5 a.m. The truck’s driver allegedly fell asleep when he went off the road and drove through a sprinkler system near the restaurant, which caused water to erupt.
The driver was not injured in the crash and the truck did not strike any other vehicles. The truck had 40,000 pounds worth of food on board, which had to be moved to another truck, causing traffic delays.
We are thankful that nobody was injured in this accident. Unfortunately, driver fatigue is recognized as a contributing factor in many commercial vehicle crashes. In fact, a National Transportation Safety Board study in the 1990s found that fatigue played a role in 31 percent of fatal accidents.
HOW MANY HOURS CAN TRUCK DRIVERS WORK?
Due to the number of accidents occurring because of fatigue, the number of hours truckers could work was reduced recently to 70 hours per week under federal laws. Drivers who hit their hours cap are required to take a 34-hour resting period. Additionally, truckers cannot drive more than 11 hours a day and must take a 30-minute break.
Experts have been paying attention to driver fatigue following a truck accident last year involving comedian Tracy Morgan. In New Jersey, a Wal-Mart truck driver slammed into a van carrying Morgan, critically injuring him and killing another passenger. Investigators said that the driver had not slept in more than 24 hours.
TRUCK ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY DRIVER FATIGUE
Truck accidents involving driver fatigue are often devastating for victims and their family members. Aside from death, they can result in catastrophic injuries. If you are injured in a truck accident, make sure you talk to our Nashville injury attorney about your legal rights.
You may be able to file a lawsuit and hold the truck’s driver and/or operator liable, obtaining damages that can help you pay for healthcare costs. Call us at (615) 866-3938 for a free consultation if you have been injured in a commercial vehicle accident involving a fatigued driver.
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” – Jeremiah 17:7
Source: https://wkrn.com/2015/08/28/tractor-trailer-runs-off-road-in-west-nashville/