A young woman, 21-years-old, who was living in Louisiana while attending school was killed while traveling to another state. The circumstances of the fatal truck accident were considered very unusual.
According to reports, the woman and two traveling companions had stopped at a rest stop on the way to their chosen destination for their spring break. While at the rest area, the woman stepped out of the group’s vehicle.
At that time, a large commercial truck, an eighteen-wheeler, was traveling in the direction opposite the rest stop. Unexpectedly, the rearmost wheels and axle came off of the truck. The assembly rolled over the oncoming lanes of traffic and entered the rest area, eventually striking and killing the woman.
Her college, from which she planned to graduate in May, described her as a talented student and an acknowledged leader on her campus.
This accident was not typical in that it wasn’t a matter of a truck driver hitting another vehicle or even striking a pedestrian. Instead, a piece of heavy equipment that one would expect to stay on the truck flew off and just happened to head in the direction of the woman and her friends.
Still, the end result is that a promising young life was cut short. Her family is no doubt devastated emotionally by her sudden and tragic loss, and they will probably have some expenditures for things like funeral costs as well.
Just as truck drivers have an obligation to drive safely, trucking companies and truck manufacturers have an obligation to make sure that their vehicles are safe to be on the road in the first place. The family of this young woman may have the option of filing a wrongful death case.