Westchester County

Published on: September 21, 2012

Congressional Legislation Aimed at Freezing Semi Weight and Length

by Stephen Bilkis

Current proposals in the House and Senate would continue the freeze on national truck size and weight limits on Federal-aid highways. The sizes would be stuck at 53 feet and 80,000 pounds if the legislation passes.

A source says, “The bills would improve safety and prevent the excessive degradation of roadways, tunnels, and bridges.” The proposed Senate bill, called Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act of 2011, is expected to extend the present weight limit and freeze on triple-trailers. This would be applicable on all 160,000 miles of the National Highway System.

“This legislation needs to be passed to prevent serious injuries and deaths,” a New York City Attorney specializing in Truck Accidents reports.

Published on: August 30, 2012

Interstate 65 reopened after Accident

by Stephen Bilkis

Police reopened the northbound lanes of Interstate 65 after a truck accident which affected a semi-truck, explains a witness. The trailer was thought to be carrying hazardous materials which caused concern for the cleanup operation. This also complicated the process of reopening the road.

The crash happened at about 3 o’clock in the early hours of the morning. This was around a mile south of the exit for Indiana 38. This caused large delays for anyone traveling along Interstate 65 as traffic quickly stated to back up.

The accident blocked all the lanes of the highway which caused police to divert traffic. The traffic was taken off the highway to get around the site of the accident, mentions the police. Then the traffic could be diverted back onto the highway after the accident.

Published on: August 14, 2012

Woman in Critical Condition after Traffic Accident

by Stephen Bilkis

A driver was hit by a semi-truck while she travelled along interstate 75. The truck accident occurred on Wednesday at 9 am. The woman is said to be in a critical, but stable condition, explains the witness.

The driver of the car stopped the car in the emergency lane close to the State Road 200 exit. It is thought that she was experiencing car trouble and had no choice other than to stop. The driver got out of her car and stepped into the outside lane. This was when the semi-truck hit her.

The semi-truck driver attempted to slow down, but as he was too close when she stepped out this wasn’t possible. The report states that the truck driver did everything he possibly could have done to try and avoid hitting the lady.

Published on: August 4, 2012

28 Year old Killed on I-287 Remembered

by Stephen Bilkis

The family and friends of a young victim who lost his life on Interstate 287 were grieving his loss. The 28 year old man from Port Chester was killed on the Interstate. His family and friends said that he was a much loved character and a very talented trumpet player.

The older brother of the victim said that he had a lot to offer the world. He was young and had his life ahead of him. He was very popular and had loads of friends. The brother is currently planning to travel to New York City so that he can be with his family at this upsetting time.

The police mentioned that the young man that died was very popular. He had a good personality and a great sense of humor. The friends of the victim were looking forward to the summer when they were planning to do parades.

Published on: July 13, 2012

Head-on Collision with Truck Leaves One Man Dead

by Stephen Bilkis

A head-on collision on the Pacific Highway in New South Wales (NSW) has left one man dead and a section of the highway in a charred mess. The April 5 accident occurred at about 4 a.m. when the driver of a car chose to pass a tractor-trailer in a no-passing zone. Once the driver had entered the opposite lane on the two-lane highway, he collided head-on with another tractor-trailer that was carrying chemicals.

As a direct result of the head-on collision, the car went beneath the truck and burst into flames. The ensuing fireball almost immediately incinerated both vehicles. At some point during the collision, the driver of the car was thrown from his vehicle. It is believed that the 29-year old died almost immediately, sources explained. The 52-year old truck driver barely escaped with his life, as he was able to escape the burning vehicles just before the tangled mess of metal was consumed by fire. The truck driver was taken to Macksville Hospital where he was treated and was released a short time later.

When first responders arrived at the scene, they were greeted with a situation that no one wants to encounter. Due to the chemicals that the one truck was hauling, firefighters were unable to enter the scene until they were able to determine what chemicals were involved. It is indeed difficult to be forced to stand by and watch a fire burn when you have the tools to extinguish it, but the safety of everyone involved is paramount in any given situation. Once water was made available to the firefighters at the remote location, and they were able to determine how to deal with the chemicals, it still took firefighters at least two hours to extinguish the flames, a fire dept. spokesman told a reporter. Staten island and Westchester have experienced similar kinds of truck accidents and truck crashes.

Published on: June 26, 2012

Car Crash Caused by Aggressive Driving

by Stephen Bilkis

A case of road rage may be to blame for a crash involving a car and tractor trailer which occurred Wednesday sometime before 9am on Alternate Route 7 in the town of Colonie, according to initial reports by a trooper.

Police in Staten Island say the tractor trailer, which was an empty gasoline tanker was eastbound on Alternate 7 in the passing lane. A report indicates the drivers of two cars driving in the passing lane of Alternate 7 eastbound at that time were engaging in a traffic argument involving the exchange rude gestures with their hands. The driver of the first car, which was unharmed in the accident, drove by the tractor trailer and entered the right lane in front of the truck, then began to hit his brakes, as cars ahead were moving slower.

The second car attempted to enter the right lane between the truck and the first car, with gestures again being exchanged, according to a report.

Published on: June 13, 2012

Crash involving a fire truck and two crash killed a woman Sunday morning

by Stephen Bilkis

A deadly crash involving three vehicles caused the close of a major intersection in Mississauga, according to a witness.

The identity of the 42-year-old woman who died has not been made public yet but officials at the scene say she was dead on impact. The other drivers involved in the crash sustained only minor injuries, explained the police.

“The primary accident was between the fire truck and one of the vehicles,” one officer said and added. “The third vehicle was damaged as a result of the initial crash.”

Published on: June 4, 2012

Semi-truck accident causes massive delays on interstate

by Stephen Bilkis

A Semi-truck was driving east in Michigan when the driver hit a patch of ice, slid out of control and flipped over, said a reporter.

Dispatchers reported that the truck is blocking a large portion of the interstate and it is unclear whether or not other vehicles or injuries are involved.

Michigan has had a series of similar accidents this past month due to severe weather. Just last week a truck slid out of control and killed three people in a minivan.

Published on: May 30, 2012

On July 25, 1967, a sixteen year old girl was walking on the sidewalk

by Stephen Bilkis

On July 25, 1967, a sixteen year old girl was walking on the sidewalk near 315 Lenox Avenue, Oneida, New York. A truck was travelling on Lenox Avenue, lost control and struck a parked car. It then jumped the curb and drove onto the sidewalk where it hit the girl causing her to be pushed under the porch of a house. This accident caused her serious injury. Her mother filed a lawsuit against the driver of the truck for loss of her daughter’s services and medical and hospital bills.

The driver of the truck denied all allegations. He denied that it was his truck. He denied that he was driving the truck. He denied that he lived in New York City. His allegations of complete noninvolvement were too false as to cause the court to comment on the impropriety of his denials. There is no reason to believe that he is not responsible for the accident.

When the driver of the truck commented on the accident, he advised that he was heading east on Lenox Avenue when his truck struck a parked vehicle, went out of control, and jumped the curb. He advised that two girls walking on the sidewalk tried to run up steps of a porch and his truck hit the girls and shoved the girls and the steps under the porch.

Published on: May 9, 2012

One Confirmed Dead Following Collision with Fire Truck

by Stephen Bilkis

Sources have confirmed that one-person lie dead following a collision between the van that he was a passenger in and a fire truck. It has been reported that the fire truck was responding to a call when it struck a van that was making a left turn in front of the fire truck. Although the van had a green light when its driver initiated the turn, the fire truck struck the van on its left rear, thereby demolishing part of the van and killing one of the eight passengers. Six of the passengers and six firefighters were hospitalized with minor injuries, and two more whose conditions were listed as critical.

The 51-year old deceased man was identified to a Lawyer as a long-time resident of a state group home that is located in Willowbrook. The van was transporting individuals from the home to a day program that is offered by the Lifestyles for the Disabled. He was described as one who was always smiling and as being happy-go-lucky. He was also a competitor in Staten Island’s Special Olympics for the past several years.

The fire truck was responding to a reported fire, which turned out to be an overheated vehicle, and at the time of the accident had its lights and sirens activated. Immediately after the accident, the firefighters’ mission changed to that of rescuers and exited their vehicle to render aid to the accident victims. Firefighters had to use a hydraulic tool in order to extricate the victims from the van.