Beware the Icy Dangers of a Tractor Trailer Rooftop
By Richard N. Shapiro, Attorney
With the recent onslaught of snow and ice that has falling in our area it is sure to increase the likelihood of crashes and injuries out on our highways and roads. In fact, just such an event occurred near Charlotte, North Carolina involving two tractor trailers. Although no one appears to be hurt the accident could have been much worse. Driving a tractor trailer requires extra training and demands a skillful touch especially when it comes to inclement weather. Very simply, truckers must exercise the utmost care in icy or snowy weather-and must pull over rather than drive in known dangerous weather.
I-77 near Charlotte, North Carolina (N.C.) was closed to clear the trucks but then re-opened in both directions on the Iredell-Mecklenburg county line after an immense wreck left one tractor trailer hanging off a bridge within feet of going into Lake Norman. The incident happened in very icy lanes of I-77 Southbound when a U.S. Mail truck skidded and apparently lost control.
Witnesses say the tractor trailer driver came close to plunging straight into Lake Norman, but was able to make it out from the cab soon after the accident. We’re told his injuries weren’t life threatening. The tractor trailer wreck happened at Mile Marker 30 along I-77.
While the wreckage was in place, an additional mail truck – another tractor trailer – was involved in a wreck behind the initial one. News channel WBTV stated that it had to swerve in order to avoid the 1st tractor trailer and wound up in the ditch. The truck driver told the news station that if he hadn’t swerved, he would have knocked the first truck into Lake Norman. It appeared that both trucks were leaking fuel into Lake Norman according to the report by WBTV.
Eyewitnesses at the crash site could see gas spilling into Lake Norman as well as smell it on the accident. Despite the fact that much of I-77 moved well by later that afternoon, the southbound lanes around the bridge along at the county line had frozen over. When the accident happened, employees working with the nearby North Harbor Club in Davidson, North Carolina rushed over in an attempt to assist the trucker. Fortunately the man was okay, additionally, the truck didn’t plunge into the lake.
Did you know that snow and ice can accumulate on the rooftop of tractor trailers and also can cause serious harm to you and damage to your car? Each year, there are many incidents in which a driver suffers a serious personal injury or is involved in a car crash after losing control of the car when a sheet of solid ice smashes through the windshield after breaking lose from on top of the truck.
I am sure you are familiar with other incidents where small pebbles/stones or debris strikes your car from huge tractor trailer tires as they tend to be good at throwing up small rubble. Also, dump trucks often that lose small bits of what they’re hauling as they strike bumps in the road. Usually this only leads to small scratches in passenger vehicles or cracked windshields. However, during wintertime the tops of tractor trailers can easily gather huge chunks of ice that can to break free at almost any time. The substantial flat surface of a trailer top draws plenty of snow and water that can easily shift as the truck moves. The Chicago Daily Herald has reported about several of these tractor trailer rooftop ice sheet accidents in which thousands of dollars in damage and a number of personal injuries occurred caused by falling sheets of ice. New York is looking at modifying its laws regarding cleaning ice from trucks after a woman there had been killed when a piece of ice smashed through a windshield after slipping off a tractor trailer. So, yes, truckers should be familiar with this danger. Sadly, there are no reliable statistics on the danger of ice chunks striking cars and causing accidents. Bottom line: try to avoid hanging out in interstate lanes behind ice covered tractor trailers, and also stay a very safe distance away from tractor trailers that are operating in snowy or icy conditions as well.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our truck accident case results, our free consumer guide on what to do in case you get into a wreck with a commercial truck, and take a moment to review our web site devoted exclusively to trucking issues. We serve all areas of North Carolina including the Outer Banks, Nags Head, and all counties. We provide FREE injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042.
Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the “Best Lawyers in America” 2010 Edition and selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum (2009). In addition, our firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.
Our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as a public information service. We also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube.
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February 2, 2010
Tags: collision, I-77, ice sheet, injury lawyer, Lake Norman, North Carolina, rooftop, semi-truck, Shapiro, tractor trailer, U.S. Mail truck Posted in: Virginia (VA) Trucking Injury/Accidents Topics
One Response
That accident could have been avoided if the trailer had ICE GRIP installed on the roof.
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