Large Truck Involved in Tragic Work Zone Crash on Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina (NC)

CHARLOTTE, NC- Wsoctv.com writes that a semi-truck and several construction vehicles were involved in a collision on Interstate 77 this week in Charlotte, North Carolina.*

The incident resulted in one fatality. According to responding officers, three vehicles were involved in the collision, including a semi-truck, a pickup truck, and a dump truck. The tractor-trailer reportedly collided with several construction vehicles. Two of the injured victims were rushed to the hospital following the collision. The driver operating the tractor-trailer reportedly died in the hospital following the crash. The identities of the crash victims are not yet available.

Road construction zones create many dangers for drivers. Lane closures, the presence of the large pieces of equipment, and workers near the roadways all can lead to tragic results. In 2018, 672 fatal crashes took place in work zones nationally, and those incidents led to a total of 755 deaths. Of that total, 203 of the crashes and 228 of the fatalities involved large trucks. Workers died in 124 work zone crashes that year, demonstrating the risks that these people face when performing their jobs so close to the flow of traffic. 

When it comes to staying safe while driving into a work zone, motorists should pay attention to work zone related signage, follow the reduced speed limits, avoid any distractions, including smartphones, the radio, and even conversations with passengers in the car. Drivers also need to reduce their speed as traffic patterns change within work zones, and issues such as lane closures can lead to traffic slowing down rapidly. If workers are present, be sure to give those individuals extra room and always be ready to stop in the case of an emergency. 

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.wsoctv.com/news/local/crash-involving-semi-truck-dump-truck-closes-portion-i-77-north-charlotte/U6H3N3AMANAEJPVHXY7TRMCSGU/

https://www.workzonesafety.org/crash-information/work-zone-fatal-crashes-fatalities/#national

 https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/work-zones-safety-tips