The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that a mother and her three children were transported to local hospitals yesterday afternoon after their van was hit by a tractor trailer truck that ran a stop sign.
The wreck happened about 2:30 Thursday afternoon at the intersection of High Falls Road and North McDonough road. Cindy Lynn Fain, 38, was driving her Dodge minivan with her three children as passengers when a tractor trailer truck driver by Solomon Debela, 37, ran a stop sign and collided with the passenger side of the van. Fain was traveling west on High Falls Road, and Debela was traveling south on North McDonough Road.
Georgia State Patrol spokesman Lt. Paul Cosper reported that Fain and her three kids were all seriously injured in the crash. The kids were Landon Todd, age 2, Jason Todd, age 4, and Josieanna Arriaga, age 5. The children were airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, and their conditions have not been released by hospital officials. Fain was taken to Spalding Regional Medical Center, and her condition has not been reported, either.
Cosper said that the tractor trailer accident is still under investigation, but Debela has been charged with failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to obey a traffic control device, and driving a semi truck on a no-thru road.
WSB-TV reporter Ryan Young spoke to a witness who said that a toddler was bleeding from the head when she arrived on the scene. Another child also appeared to be bleeding and in pain, the witness reported.
Let us hope that everyone injured in the semi truck wreck survives. Tractor trailer wrecks cause far too many injuries and fatalities. We may never know what caused Debela to run the stop sign, but driver distraction and driver fatigue among truckers are major problems for all drivers on the road.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cites the following most common causes of tractor trailer wrecks: poor driving training, driver fatigue, speeding, overloaded trucks, oversized trucks, brake failure, poor driving conditions, driver inexperience, failure to yield, driving under the influence, aggressive or reckless driving, mechanical failure or improper maintenance, and defective parts. Driver fatigue plays a role in 30 to 40 percent of truck wrecks. According to the Federal Safety Regulations, the trucking company has a duty to monitor the driving record of the driver and look for problems. In one survey, 64 percent of truck drivers surveyed were willing to anonymously admit they falsified their hours of service logs. Sadly, falsified log books are common. Truck drivers and trucking companies may be held liable when their negligence leads to injuries or fatalities.
We’d like to think that the majority of truck drivers are safe and responsible, but the industry tends to promote driver fatigue and unsafe conditions. If you are involved in a wreck involving a tractor-trailer truck or construction vehicle, you need someone to fight to make sure you receive full compensation. Contact an experienced Georgia tractor trailer wreck lawyer immediately. Cal MLN Law at 404-531-9700 for a free consultation.