On Saturday morning, April 23, KTLA reports a Vons grocery truck driver was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing into a guardrail and then the median on the Santa Ana Freeway.
According to the article, the 44-year-old male driver of the truck is believed to have hit the guardrail on the right shoulder of the freeway close to the Norwalk Boulevard offramp at about 10 a.m., which caused the truck to jackknife into the center median and into one lane of the northbound freeway. The collision caused the vehicle to catch fire and explode while spilling its grocery contents onto the highway. The truck driver reportedly suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The accident did not involve any other vehicles and no other injuries were reported. About 30 feet of guardrail was damaged in the incident. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) closed all southbound lanes until approximately 2 p.m. to conduct an investigation into the accident as well as to clean up debris.
Following the California truck accident, The Los Angeles Times reported he was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol during the crash.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there were 3,380 fatalities and about 74,000 people injured in truck accidents in the United States during 2009. Overall, approximately 296,000 large trucks were involved in traffic accidents in the U.S. that year. According to the NHTSA, truck drivers accounted for around 2 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes that had a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .08 percent, the legal limit, or higher during 2009. While this percentage is relatively low, the consequences of an impaired truck driver operating an 80,000 vehicle in such a careless manner are significant. When a truck operator drives impaired, distracted, or fatigued, everyone on the road is in danger of suffering serious injury or death should an accident occur.
The Los Angeles truck accident lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have successfully represented victims for many years who have been injured in a crash caused by the negligent actions of a truck driver. Call 1-877-800-1700 today to learn how our attorneys can help you receive the compensation you need and deserve.
