Truck accidents are often caused by lack of proper maintenance, speeding or drivers who are reckless, overtired or distracted. Some incidents are caused by unsafe road conditions, as one Southern California city is finding out the hard way.
On May 9, a cement truck traveling down Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills reportedly hit a tree and then collided with a vehicle driven by an off-duty LAPD officer. The officer died from his injuries. A local resident reported hearing what sounded like an earthquake. When she stepped outside, she saw the crushed pickup truck and overturned cement truck with its driver lying on the ground. The cement truck driver was transported to a local hospital where he was said to be in serious condition.
The crash happened just 25 yards from where a different LAPD officer was killed and yet another was injured by a dump truck on March 7. The same road was also the site of a truck accident that occurred on May 2 when another cement truck collided with several parked vehicles before overturning. In that incident, the driver was hospitalized in serious condition, but there were no fatalities and no other injuries reported.
City officials sat up and took notice when they realized that one stretch of road was the site of three truck accidents that caused two fatalities and three serious injuries in a two-month span. Because each of the incidents involved a heavy construction vehicle, the city has placed a 30-day moratorium on heavy vehicles traveling the roadway. Officials are already discussing solutions such as police escorts, daily vehicle inspections and higher prices for permits.
The families of the deceased officers may need to consult with a legal professional to determine exactly who is liable for damages in the wake of this tragic series of events.
Source: KTLA 5, “Beverly Hills Deadly Crash Site Discussed at Safety Meeting,” Anthony Kurzweil, May 15, 2014
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