Tractor Trailer Wreck Shut Down GA 17 for Four Hours
Last Monday a tractor trailer wreck on GA 17 shut down the highway near Savannah for approximately four hours, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Effingham County first responders were dispatched to GA 17 near Midland Road, south of Guyton, in response to reports that a tractor trailer truck had overturned and was leaking fuel. The first responders arrived to find that four vehicles had been involved in the wreck.
Georgia State Patrol Trooper Chris Cuddington reported that 23-year-old Travis Kruen of Statesboro was traveling south on GA 17 in a Ford F250 pulling a trailer when he slowed down to turn right onto Lambert Road. The tractor trailer behind Kreun failed to stop in time and hit the trailer on Kreun’s truck.
The 18-wheeler was driven by John Young, 53, of Millen. The driver tried to stop, but after the tractor trailer clipped Kreun’s trailer, it crashed into a northbound U.S. Postal Service truck driven by James Hester, 58, of Bloomingdale. At this point, the tractor trailer overturned and began leaking fuel.
Hester was taken to Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah. A hospital spokesperson said that he was treated and released.
Cynthia Leeks, 50, of Sylvania, was driving a Ford Expedition southbound behind the 18-wheeler when it crashed. As a result of the wreck, she swerved and drove into a ditch. Luckily, Leeks and her passengers, including a toddler, were not injured.
Officer Cuddington told the Savannah Morning News that Young, the driver of the tractor trailer, was cited for following to closely. Young complained of shoulder pain at the scene but refused treatment.
Georgia Department of Transportation employees and emergency crews cleaned up the fuel that spilled from the tractor trailer. The road was closed for four hours.
Because they are extremely massive, tractor trailer trucks cannot stop as fast as normal passenger vehicles. Large trucks requires 3 times the distance of normal cars to stop. For this reason, Road Safe America wants to see speed governors on tractor trailer trucks.
Many trucking companies already use speed governors, which are on-board computers that limit the speed of the truck. The speed governors would not allow trucks to exceed 65 miles per hour. When it comes to 18-wheelers, the difference in a few miles per hour could mean the difference between life and death.
Atlanta father Steve Owings founded Road Safe America after his son was killed in 2002 when a 70,000 pound truck that was traveling 7 miles per hour of the speed limit did not have time to stop and crashed into his car. The petition at RoadSafeAmerica.org calls for a top speed of 65 miles per hour for all trucks over 13 tons, aw well as required use of on-board speed governors. The organization also wants better working conditions for truck drivers.
Tractor trailer trucks are monstrous machines that causes serious injuries and fatalities all too often. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a tractor trailer truck wreck, you can schedule a free consultation with an experienced Georgia truck wreck attorney by calling Neff Injury Law at 404-531-9700.