Truck driver killed in houston

A big rig driver was killed Thursday evening on US 59 near the Grand Parkway. Apparently, the trucker had pulled his vehicle off the roadway and was inspecting his tractor and trailer with a flashlight and stepped into a lane of traffic. A car passing by headed south on US 59 struck the truck driver.

Several witnesses were at the scene and called the police to investigate the accident. Reports indicate that the authorities do not know why the truck driver pulled his rig over to inspect it.

Truck drivers routinely pull off the road to inspect their load to make sure their votes are properly and securely tied down. In fact, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require a truck driver to pull off the roadway to inspect the load under certain specified conditions to insurer it is not improperly loaded.

However, truck drivers are expected to pull off the roadway where they are not in danger of causing an accident or endangering themselves. This terrible tragedy could have been the result of inspecting a load is required by federal regulations, or perhaps the truck driver had mechanical issues that needed to be checked out on the tractor-trailer.

For drivers of passenger vehicles, if you have issues with your car, such as inspecting your car for a potential flat tire or other problems, make sure you are not endangering yourself when you pull off the highway to check out your vehicle.

Driving at night is especially dangerous in this situation because of the visibility limitations. Use extra caution when pulling off the road, and always make sure you are out of the danger zone of the highway.

Greg Baumgartner is a truck crash attorney in Houston. And has been handling big rig accident cases in Texas for over 35 years.

Source: chron.com