Orange County does not get the snowy and cold weather that many other parts of the country have to face during this time of year. Thus, drivers in Orange County don’t usually have to worry about driving on icy roads. However, that does not necessarily mean that drivers will never face slippery or otherwise difficult road conditions.
Recently, a dump-truck driver in Anaheim failed to adjust his driving for the conditions on the road. At about 8:30 a.m., the driver was traveling at an unsafe speed, despite the wet conditions, and then slammed on the brakes to slow down. This caused the cab of the truck to slide, and it eventually hit a guard rail, which resulted in the truck’s trailer dangling over the edge.
That accident caused a chain reaction; a driver in a Chevy Camaro had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the dump truck. That led to a Ford Explorer rear-ending the Camaro. The Explorer was hit by a Ford Mustang, which was then struck by a Honda Civic.
Surprisingly, the accidents did not result in any serious injuries. Emergency responders treated eight people on the scene, but did not have to take any of them to the hospital. However, the area was closed to traffic for about 10 hours as a hazardous materials crew cleaned up 60 gallons of fuel, and the California Department of Transportation fixed the guard rail and removed the dump truck.
Speeding is never a good idea, but it is especially dangerous when road conditions are wet. Also, just because a person is driving within the speed limit does not mean that he or she is driving at a safe speed. When the roads are wet, drivers should slow down accordingly. In this case, a chain reaction accident occurred because a trucker failed to take such precautions.
While eight people managed to escape this accident without any serious injuries, this is not always the case. Truck accidents can cause tremendous damage and severe injuries. When, as in this case, the truck driver caused the accident, any accident victims may be able to pursue legal action against the trucker and the truck company.
Source: Orange County Register, “O.C’s 55-91 freeway interchange clear after truck crash clogs traffic,” Joshua Sudock, Dec. 16, 2016
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