Crash Between Two Trucks Leads to Fire on GA 316 in Lawrenceville, Georgia (GA)
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA- Gwinnettdailypost.com writes that two trucks collided on State Route 316, leading to a severe fire. One of the trucks was transporting Vidalia onions at the time while the other had a trailer carrying a bulldozer. The incident took place close to Hi Hope Road and Buford Drive. Officers were called to the scene in the late morning.*
The truck carrying the onions was completely destroyed in the fire. Police ticketed the driver carrying the onions for following the other semi too closely. Police photos of the crash show the burnt truck with bags of onions falling off the sides. The cab was also burnt by the flames. Responders shut down the eastbound lanes for several hours while the westbound lanes were temporarily closed as well, but reopened after a short while. In the mid-afternoon, the trailer was still in the median while crews were working to clear debris from the road.
When it comes to large trucks, the size of these vehicles makes stopping a challenge. When traveling at common highway speeds, a large and fully loaded semi-truck may require a length of about two football fields in order to come to a stop. If the weather is bad, the distance required may increase.
It is important for drivers to ensure that these large vehicles have enough space to come to a safe stop. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states in a safety video that if a driver is traveling in front of a large truck or a bus, and can see that vehicle's license plate in their rear-view mirror, then the truck is too close to the back of their vehicle.
Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes. To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.
Sources:
https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/two-trucks-one-carrying-vidalia-onions-collide-on-ga-in/article_08f7384c-6b97-11ea-ad5f-43fc7d6ef306.html
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/long-stopping-distances