Car Accidents and Truck Wrecks

• Multi-vehicle crash shuts down both lanes of I-75 in Cook County
  Nov 21, 2009
  A truck collision caused a chain reaction crash that ended up involving four vehicles and stopping traffic for nearly four miles on northbound I-75.
   
  The collision occurred around 4:20 am on the morning of Friday, November 20. A northbound semi-truck crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer that had slowed down in the right lane near exit 42. Only moments later a pick-up truck collided with the semi. The pick-up truck was then struck by a car.
   
  Much of the second truck’s cab broke off when it slammed into the first trailer which was filled with car batteries.
   
  Cook County Sheriff’s deputies and Adel Police officers were first on the scene. They had to extricate the driver of the second semi-truck after it caught it fire.  The driver was rushed to Tift Regional Hospital with serious injuries. The other drivers were uninjured.
   
  The accident occurred shortly after Georgia Department of Transportation workers had re-opened the northbound lanes of I-75. The lanes had been closed and traffic shifted while crews re-striped the road.
   
  The collision left Friday morning rush hour traffic at a standstill for almost three hours while crews removed wreckage and cleaned up spilled diesel fuel.
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• Morehouse-crash bus driver dies after car wreck
  Nov 11, 2009
  The bus driver of the charter bus that crashed last month while carrying Morehouse College Marching Band members died on Tuesday, November 10, following a traffic accident at the intersection of Sylvan Road and Arden Avenue in south Fulton County.
   
  Sixty-three year old Ralph Marshall was pronounced dead after being taken to Grady Hospital in Atlanta. The autopsy showed no injuries from the car accident and Chief Medical Examiner Randy Hanzlick said that the death appears to be from natural causes. Toxicology studies will be done, but results will not be available for several weeks.
    
  Marshall was an employee of Superior Transportation, an Atlanta-based charter bus company. Marshall was driving a charter busses carrying band members to a football game in Albany on October 31st. The bus skidded on I-75 in Henry County, flipped twice and then overturned. Accident investigators believe that Marshall lost control of the bus after being cut off by other drivers; however, there are inconsistencies in witness reports. Thirteen of the forty-two students on the bus were injured. The driver did not sustain injuries.
   
  Superior Transportation is currently under investigation for operating while not properly licensed and operating with revoked insurance.
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• Three commuters killed in Highway 78 crash
  Oct 21, 2009
  A commuter van carrying nine people was involved in a serious traffic accident around 4:30pm on Tuesday, October 13.  The driver and two passengers were killed.  The rest were hospitalized with injuries.  All victims were employees of Georgia Power.
   
  The van was traveling on eastbound Highway 78 in Stone Mountain, when the rear bumper was clipped by a white Dodge Stratus belonging to James Miles.  The impact caused the van to flip over.  Firefighters had to cut the roof off to free the passengers who were trapped inside.
   
  Eyewitnesses say Miles had been driving recklessly and weaving through traffic.  Miles is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide in the second degree and with improper lane change.  The charges are misdemeanors.  You can read more about the accident and possible legal aspects of the case, here.
   
  Forbes Magazine rated Atlanta as the worst city for commuting in the United States. Atlanta has more traffic than its infrastructure can handle.  Many commuters spend well over an hour commuting to and from work.  This situation accounts for harried, hurried drivers on crowded highways and increases the risk of accidents. 
   
  If a reckless driver has caused you or a loved one to be seriously injured in a commuter car accident, we can help. Contact the Atlanta accident attorneys at Kaufman Law, 888-WRECK-404, for a free consultation.
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• Deadly tractor-trailer wreck kills three in Oglethorpe County.
  Oct 16, 2009
  Three men died instantly in a three vehicle crash in the early morning of October 15, 2009. The men were traveling on U.S. Highway 78 between Crawford and Lexington, when their pick-up truck collided with a tractor-trailer carrying empty chicken cages.   
   
  Investigators do not know what caused the accident which left the pick-up truck pinned between the tractor-trailer and a dirt bank. One policeman at the scene said that he had never seen so much damage in more than seventeen years of responding to accidents.
   
  A Chevy Cavalier was also involved in the accident. The passenger, a 44-year-old woman, was taken to Athens Regional Medical Center. She is being treated for a punctured lung and ruptured spleen. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.
   
  An 18-wheeler can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Because they are so large, collisions with a tractor-trailer are especially deadly. A small pick-up truck or sedan offers little protection for its passengers. Any accident is likely to result in severe injuries, and often, death.
   
  Any wreck involving a commercial truck is a serious matter. If you or a member of your family has been in an accident with a semi-truck, the accident attorneys at Kaufman Law can help. We can negotiate with the insurance companies and get you fair compensation for medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other expenses. Call 888-WRECK-404 for a free consultation and to get the legal help you need.
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• Distracted Driving: texting while driving banned for federal workers
  Oct 08, 2009
  President Obama recently signed an executive order banning texting while driving for federal workers.
   
  Federal workers may not text while driving government cars or while driving if using a government-provided cell phone.  They may not text while driving using their own phones and cars to conduct government business.  This order takes effect immediately and covers 4.5 million federal workers, including military personnel.
   
  United States Transportation Secretary LaHood announced this new law after a two day national conference focusing on distracted driving.  He called distractions such as texting and cell phone use a “menace to society.”  Last year, distracted driving was the major contributing factor to 5,870 road accident fatalities and a factor in 80% of car accidents.
   
  Secretary LaHood also announced plans for legislation to ban texting and some non-emergency cell phone use by truck and bus drivers who cross state lines.  However, since truckers use a variety of devices to communicate with dispatchers, it will take some time to clarify exactly what this law means.
   
  U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation to force states to ban texting while driving or lose federal highway funding.
   
  Texting while driving is a safety risk, but there are many ways in which drivers can be distracted.  You can learn more about distracted driving in Georgia here. 
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• Family devastated when three killed car wreck
  Sep 24, 2009
  Officials report that three members of a family, including a child, were killed on the evening of September 18, 2009 in Walker County, Georgia.  The accident involved a tree-trimming truck belonging to Townsend Tree Service
    
  The tree-trimming truck crossed the center line on Georgia Highway 136.  It hit both a compact car and a pick-up truck.   The car driver and passenger were injured and taken to a nearby hospital.  All three occupants of the pick-up truck, the driver, his brother and his daughter, were killed.
    
  The cause of the accident is under investigation, but alcohol does not appear to be involved.  
    
  Crashes involving large specialty trucks can be especially deadly.  Most truck accidents are preventable.  If you or your family members have been injured or killed by a negligent driver, please call our attorneys toll free at 888-973-2540 (88-WRECK-404) to schedule a free legal consultation.
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• Three Georgia school bus accidents in one week!
  Sep 24, 2009
  School has only just started, yet already school bus accidents are bringing attention to the risks that our children face each day while on their way to school.
    
  On September 15, a log truck collided with a school bus in Whitfield County leaving a gaping hole in its side.  The bus driver was taken to the hospital with internal and external injuries.  Thankfully, no students were on the bus.
    
  The truck had been traveling at excessive speed along Georgia Highway 201.  When the driver tried to slow down for traffic, he lost control of the truck and swerved into the other lane.
    
  On September 22, eight students in Columbia County were sent to the hospital for minor injuries after their school was rear ended.  The students were treated for neck and back injuries and released.  The driver of the car was charged with following too closely.
    
  Later the same day, a special education bus was rear ended near Fort Gordon.  No one was injured.
    
  Following too closely and excessive speed are among the top causes of traffic accidents.  If someone you love has been injured because of careless driving, the attorneys at Kaufman Law can help.  Call us toll free at 888-973-2540 (888-WRECK-404) for a free consultation.
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• Officials surprised by rise in number of women drinking and driving
  Aug 31, 2009

  Just in time for Georgia’s annual crackdown on intoxicated drivers comes a study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which examined the number of women drivers involved in fatal auto accidents.  About 2,000 fatalities a year involve a female driver who has been drinking.

   

  The study looked at data from 2007 and 2008, and found that the number of women involved in these fatal alcohol-related crashes increased or remained flat in 15 states compared to 13 states for male drivers.

   

  To put the findings in perspective, consider that the number of alcohol-impaired drivers dropped by 9 percent in 2008.  This means that even though the overall number of drunk drivers is going down, women are making up a greater percentage of that number.

   

  A longer-term study by the FBI showed that from 1998 to 2007 the number of women caught driving while intoxicated went up 29 percent.  During the same time period, the number of men caught drunk driving increased by only 7.5 percent.

   

  Even though the percentage of women drinking and driving is going up, men still make up the bulk of offenders.  About four times as many men are arrested for driving under the influence as women each year.

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• Man killed, four others injured when SUV crashes into home
  Aug 31, 2009

  The driver of a Lincoln Navigator apparently lost control of his vehicle and crashed it into a Douglasville home where a family was home watching a movie.

   

  The Navigator was traveling at such a high rate of speed when the accident happened that the vehicle knocked down bushes and mailboxes, hit a parked vehicle, and then crashed into the side of the home.  According to a Douglas County spokesman the SUV reached all the way to the back wall of the living room.

   

  One man in the home, George Michael Bryant, 60, was killed in the crash.  His wife, Joyce Bryant, was expected to be released from the hospital soon.  The victim’s granddaughter, Aylisha Walters, 9, is still in Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite.

   

  Two others in the home, the victim’s daughter Shannon Bryant and his 13 year old grandson were both treated at a local hospital and released.

   

  The driver of the SUV, William Steward, 47, was taken to Grady Hospital to be treated for his injuries.  His condition has not been released, although police stated that his blood will be tested for alcohol.

   

  The accident is still being investigated and will likely lead to a criminal prosecution; Steward may face charges of vehicular manslaughter.

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• Georgia police kick off state-wide DUI crackdown
  Aug 24, 2009

  In an effort to reduce the number of people hurt or killed in alcohol related crashes on Georgia roads, police have launched “Operation Zero Tolerance”.  This crackdown is being run in a number of states across the country and will last through Labor Day.

   

  Operation Zero Tolerance is being run in conjunction with “100 Days of Summer HEAT”, a campaign to crack down on aggressive drivers.  Aggressive driving – like excess speed, unsafe lane changes, and red light running – contributes to serious accidents and traffic deaths every year.

   

  In Georgia, one in three fatal crashes involves an impaired driver.  Police hope that the DUI crackdown will help reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes on the road.  Across the U.S. over 13,000 people die every year from alcohol-related accidents.

   

  As a part of the campaign, drivers caught driving under the influence of alcohol will be arrested.  According to officials, no warnings will be given to impaired drivers.

   

  Georgia is not alone in cracking down on intoxicated drivers.  A number of other states across the country are also running campaigns to catch drunk drivers through Labor Day.

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