Bronx

Published on: May 23, 2012

14 Dead as Tour Bus Slid into Pole

by Stephen Bilkis

Fourteen people have been confirmed dead following a horrific crash of a tour bus in The Bronx, New York, over the weekend. The tour bus was returning from a night out for its passengers at the Mohegan Sun Casino in eastern Connecticut. The 40-year old bus driver survived the crash and had told investigators that a passing tractor-trailer had clipped the bus thereby causing him to lose control of the vehicle before overturning and skidding almost 500-feet into a highway sign whose support structure then sliced through the bus.

While the investigation is still ongoing, there are some who are not quite as certain of the bus driver’s accounts; Investigators have been hearing witness and survivor accounts of the bus having driving across the rumble strips multiple times before the bus overturned. Rumble strips are placed along the shoulders of many highways in order to alert drivers whenever they are leaving the travelled portion of the roadway and are heading for the edge of the pavement. This system is put into place in large part to “wakeup” drivers who may be beginning to nod off.

There were 32 people on board the bus when it crashed – The 14 who perished, 17 survivors, and the driver. Of the 17 passengers who survived the crash, there were five who were critically injured, two suffered serious injuries, and eleven who suffered only minor injuries.

Published on: May 19, 2012

Change in Rules Needed for Truck Driver Fatigue,

by Stephen Bilkis

The current laws and regulations that inhibit truck driver fatigue have proven to be ineffective, reports an authority . A recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ruling on an accident that occurred in 2008, regarding a tractor-trailer driver that had failed to notice that traffic had stopped in front of him and collided with an SUV on I-44 in Oklahoma. The semi-truck then proceeded to override three additional vehicles thereby setting off a chain reaction amongst the vehicles.

The NTSB ruled last fall that driver fatigue was the deciding factor due to the driver experiencing acute sleep loss. The NTSB further went on to add that the current federal regulations fail to address the issue of driver fatigue, a TV Station was told. The NTSB has made specific recommendations to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regarding how to address truck driver fatigue. Some of their changes include:

• Creating comprehensive fatigue management plans for commercial drivers

Published on: May 16, 2012

Bus Swerved Before Crash

by Stephen Bilkis

During their investigation of the tragic bus accident in the Bronx last weekend, investigators have learned that the bus swerved many times before overturning onto its side and skidding into a pole thereby killing fourteen people, a reporter has learned.

While many of the eyewitness accounts may vary depending on their recollection, most of them attest to the bus having swerved onto the rumble strips that are located on the shoulder of the highway multiple times before the bus crashed, a policeman was told. Rumble strips are placed on the side of the road in order to alert drivers whenever they drive near the edge of the pavement.

The bus driver has stated that the bus was clipped by a tractor-trailer, which caused him to lose control. Investigators have recovered a dash camera that was mounted on the front of the bus, as well as an engine-control module, so they may further investigate what was in front of the bus as well as the bus’ speed and other parameters to assist in their investigation. The engine-control module has been sent to a laboratory in Washington, D.C. The truck driver that is to have allegedly struck the bus has contacted the state police voluntarily and both he and his employer are cooperating with authorities. Authorities have also located both the trailer and the tractor that the bus driver alleges to have clipped the bus, and have taken them both in for analysis.

Published on: April 26, 2012

Truck Overturns and Kills Two

by Stephen Bilkis

Two people died after a truck overturned in the town of Stellenbosch. Four other passengers are in critical condition and were taken to the nearby hospital. The extent of their injuries is currently unknown. The driver of the truck, who was also taken to the hospital, has deep cuts on his face and body. Medical personnel responded quickly after the truck accidentwas reported. It is unclear how the accident occurred and if the truck driver is at fault. Local law enforcement will have to investigate further to learn more about the cause of this tragedy.

When medical personnel, including two medical doctors, EMS helicopter and a rescue vehicle arrived, they quickly assessed that two of the passengers were dead on the scene. The other four passengers had various injuries which required immediate medical attention. Injuries included severe head trauma and leg and arm fractures. The accident happened around 3pm on Adam Tas Road. A spokesperson for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) stated that those who survived the accident are receiving medical attention.

Luckily, medical personnel were able to reach the scene of the accident quickly to transport the injured people to the local hospital. Those with head trauma will have to be monitored to determine if permanent damage has been done. Those with fractures probably need to rest until their injuries heal completely. Physical therapy may also be needed depending on the severity of their injuries. The cuts on the driver may also take time to heal. He will have to be monitored so he does not develop an infection from the wounds.

Published on: April 23, 2012

Perils at Lexington School, Reports New York Tuck Accident Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

Students at a Lexington South Carolina School found themselves in a dangerous situation last Tuesday.

The witness said that the trouble began around 7:00 on Tuesday morning, when a semi truckcarrying almost 9 thousand gallons of gasoline on North Lake Drive overturned in the road in the Sunset Boulevard area, spilling almost 500 gallons of its load onto the road and into the surrounding brush.

Lexington Middle School, which is located approximately 1500 feet away from the site of the spill, was immediately put on high alert by two Lexington County Police Officers who were filling up their patrol vehicle at a Hess gasoline station within site of the accident when the 18 wheeler flipped.

Published on: April 21, 2012

A 15-year veteran at the New York City Department of Sanitation filed a complaint

by Stephen Bilkis

A 15-year veteran at the New York City Department of Sanitation filed a complaint arising from an accident where he sustained personal injuries. The complaint was filed against the manufacturer of the garbage truck, the City of New York/Department of Sanitation, and a co-worker.

The action arises from an accident which occurred on September 15, 2005, at 10 A.M., in which the sanitation worker, was injured while performing his garbage collection duties on Staten Island. On that day, the sanitation worker was standing behind a garbage truck (Model 25-CU-041) and attempting to maneuver a scrap piece of wood into the hopper when the hopper appeared to self-activate, and his hand got caught on the wood thereby pulling both his arm and body into the hopper mechanism crushing his right hand and arm. At the time of the accident, he was working with a co-worker, who was seated in the driver’s compartment when the truck accident occurred.

According to sources, the vehicle in question was ordered from the manufacturer after a competitive bidding process. As a general rule, manufacturers are not consulted or otherwise involved in the drafting of the detailed specifications for the truck. The detailed specifications are provided by the City and the manufacturer is not allowed to deviate from those specifications.

Published on: April 16, 2012

Fatality in Canada; Remarks from a New York Truck Accident Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

Hope, Canada- A tragic truck accident involving three 18 wheeler trucks yesterday resulted in fatality, said a witness with details of the collision.

The accident, which occurred late in the evening on Highway 1 just north of the city of Hope, occurred during a heavy snowstorm that made for hazardous road conditions and low visibility. A truck which was carrying a shipment of timber across Emory Creek Bridge slid out around a bend in the road and crossed into oncoming traffic, where it immediately collided with another Commercial Truck headed in the opposite direction. The third truck, which was following the northbound truck, was unable to stop in time and collided with the other semis. The driver of the third truck sustained only mild injuries, and walked away from the scene of the accident. The drivers of the first and second trucks sustained more severe injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The third person, who was a middle-aged male from western Canada and was a passenger in the second semi truck, lost his life in the accident.

Additional information about the truck accident is unavailable at this time. The source we spoke with said that there could be multiple contributing factors for an accident of this type, especially one involving a fatality, and officials are typically cautions in making a judgment, particularly when litigation could be possible. There is also no word yet on whether any of the drivers would be deemed at fault, and if criminal charges would be filed. In the Bronx and Brooklyn charges would be filed.

Published on: March 31, 2012

Questions surround Truck Accident

by Stephen Bilkis

Green County, Indiana- Officials from the Sullivan County Police department were involved in heavy cleanup on Monday after an accident on State Road 159, reported a witness who was in Green County at the time of the truck accident, which occurred early in the afternoon somewhere south of Dugger in Sullivan County.

Sullivan County 911 logged an emergency call at around 1:30, and immediately notified police and other emergency personnel. Officers responding to the scene found a three-axle coal truck which had flipped onto its side, spilling its contents into the road. The policeman was unable to speak to the severity of the accident, or the condition of the driver. It is possible that slick road conditions may have been a factor in the accident. One other theory which has been mentioned suggests that the coal load may have shifted or settled unevenly, causing a weight imbalance which contributed to the truck accident.

The latest report on the cleanup activity came at around 3:00 on Monday afternoon. A representative of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department reported that the Sherriff’s department was working actively with crews from the Indiana Department of Transportation to resolve the situation and bring traffic back to normal flow.

Published on: March 19, 2012

A woman is killed in a truck accident

by Stephen Bilkis

A 59 year old female driver was killed yesterday in a truck accident. A Toyota Rav 4 got pushed about 150 meters after a truck slammed into the back of it, according to a report.

Nigel Housego, a police investigator, said the crash took place on Lily dale Rd near Launceston at about 9:20 am.

Both of these vehicles were travelling in the same lane and both came to a stop in the north bond lane of Lily dale as reported by a policeman.

Published on: February 27, 2012

Head on collision injury

by Stephen Bilkis

On February the third, a female driver of a Volkswagen collided head-on with a tractor trailer truck. This was a crash of three vehicles. The truck accident happened in the Route 33 area. Police told the reporter that the Ryder truck and the Volkswagen Jetta collided head-on.

There was also a white vehicle involved in the accident, according to a source. The Volkswagen driven by the female driver was the one that was trapped between the truck and the white Chevrolet. Rescue team had to get the vehicle out as well as a female driver. The female driver was taken to the hospital by ambulance and from there she was airlifted to a medical facility close by. As a matter of record fatal truck accidents are likely to occur in areas with many highways and winding roads. They do not happen very often in urban areas like The Bronx and Queens where there are not many highways and winding roads where trucks are apt to speed and become dangerous and have accidents which kill people.

A young man who was in the accident was also taken to the hospital along with the female driver of the Chevrolet car. The driver of the tractor trailer truck went without injuries. The authorities said that the accident is still being investigated to see what happened. He said that the tractor-trailer driver was going eastbound on route 33 and the driver off the Volkswagen was going westbound. The road was closed for several hours as police tried to figure out what happened. The police told the rep that they are checking to see if drunk driving played a part. Of they find that alcohol or drugs or both were involved in this case, it could easily and very quickly become a criminal matter in which someone could be spending a very long time in jail.