Most drivers in Knoxville know that slight feeling of fear or anxiety when confronted with driving near a semi truck in certain situations. Because of how much larger semi trucks are than passenger cars, they can do some serious damage to smaller vehicles in accidents. A recent truck accident in Maryland shows one of the dangers these trucks can pose.
The accident occurred on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and ended with a 22-year-old woman’s car being pushed off the bridge and into the water below. At around 8:30 p.m., the woman drove onto the bridge and was hit by the semi truck. A railing is meant to keep cars from falling off the bridge, but the truck forced her car over the railing. The car dropped around 40 feet and into water that is six to eight feet deep below. An SUV was also involved in the accident.
The 22-year-old driver was able to escape from her car and found refuge on some nearby rocks. A nearby boater stayed with the woman until rescue workers could reach her. After being taken to shore, the woman was taken by helicopter to the Shock Trauma Center. While the woman’s injuries were serious, they are not believed to be life threatening. The bridge remained closed until engineers determined the accident hadn’t made the bridge unsafe.
This accident almost sounds like something out of a nightmare. While most drivers will never face a situation where they are forced over a bridge, people are injured in truck accidents every day. An attorney may be able to assist victims of truck accidents get the compensation they deserve for medical expenses, property damage and lost wages that may have resulted from an accident caused through another person’s negligence.
Source: Huffington Post, “Car plunges off Chesapeake Bay Bridge after collision with tractor-trailer“, Jean Marbella, July 20, 2013