Underride Crash Injures Three in Jacksonville, Florida (FL)

JACKSONVILLE, FL- Firstcoastnews.com writes that a crash occurred in Jacksonville, Florida, that injured three people. The incident took place on US 301 at the intersection with Normandy Boulevard in the afternoon.*

The Florida Highway Patrol was called to the scene and found that one person had become trapped as a result of the two-vehicle crash. A car had become trapped beneath a semi-truck. Responders were able to rescue the trapped individual and transported the person to the hospital. 

The accident led to heavy traffic heading in both directions on US-301.

Large trucks are a hazard to others on the roadway. These massive vehicles present risks not only because of their size and weight but also because of their height. It is possible for cars to become stuck beneath the trailer of a large truck in an underride crash.  Underride crashes are often deadly. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety writes that this category of collision can often be prevented by underride guards. Studies have indicated that twenty percent of underride crashes involve the side of a truck, 22 percent involve the rear, and 57 percent occur at the front of the truck. Currently, rear underride guards are required on all large trucks. 

Other dangers affiliated with trucks include truck driver fatigue. Federal regulations allow drivers to travel up to eleven hours in a stretch. However, studies indicate that drivers who travel for periods of longer than eight hours have double the risk of being involved in a collision. The long hours of work can lead to fatigue and sleep deprivation, which, in turn, creates risks on the road. 

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 a 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.firstcoastnews.com/article/traffic/1-seriously-injured-after-car-gets-stuck-under-semi-on-us-301/77-241ddeee-c200-447d-8e15-01abf4061333

https://www.iihs.org/topics/large-trucks