California Highway Patrol: truck crash caused by brake failure

We’ve all been there. You come to a stop at a light or in traffic and check out your rearview mirror to see a car barrelling toward you, and you wonder if they’re going to be able to stop. Now, imagine it’s an 18-wheeler in your rearview mirror. That’s the terror that drivers in San Mateo felt just before an accident in early December.

It could have been much worse. The driver of the truck realized that his brakes were failing at the same time he noticed a line of cars stopped because of traffic. At the last second, he noticed an uphill exit ramp and decided to veer in that direction. Once he was off the highway, he drove the big rig off the road to avoid slamming into stopped traffic on the ramp.

Despite his best efforts, he still hit two vehicles. The driver of one vehicle sustained some unspecified injury. The driver of the semi had to be rescued with the Jaws of Life but was okay. Considering the circumstances, the fact that only one person was injured could be considered a miracle.

Typically, truck accidents leave a path of death and destruction in their wake, plus grieving families that must now deal with medical expenses, funeral costs and lost wages.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed because of a trucking accident, you may want to consider speaking with an attorney. He or she can find answers to the right questions, like whether the driver was negligent, whether a mechanical failure was responsible or if the trucking company played a role in the crash. If negligence can be determined, the victims may be able to recover compensation.

Source: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com, “Big-Rig Crash, Rollover In San Mateo Blamed On Brake Failure,” December 7, 2016