A tragic accident between a semi-truck and a farmer driving a tractor on Route OO in Strafford caused the tractor to topple over, killing the farmer. The accident occurred earlier this month when the truck attempted to pass by the tractor, which had been travelling on the roadway, but came head to head with oncoming traffic. As a result, the truck then hit the tractor from behind, knocking the tractor over and ejecting the driver. Both the tractor and the truck were driving eastbound on Route OO in Strafford, which is about 80 miles east of Joplin. The 61-year-old driver of the tractor, Sam Easterly, was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Truck and Farm Equipment Crashes a Common Occurrence
Although a truck and tractor accident may seem like a freak occurrence, collisions between trucks and farm equipment can be an all-too-common occurrence, especially in many areas in Missouri where farmland and interstate highways are in close proximity to one another. Just a few recent examples of collisions between trucks and farm equipment from the past several weeks include:
- A man driving a John Deere tractor in Idaho was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer, causing the tractor to roll over and killing the man.
- A delivery truck slammed into a farm tractor in Minnesota, destroying the tractor and causing serious injury to the driver.
- A tractor driver in Colorado was killed when a truck driver hit the back left corner of the tractor, causing the 1968 tractor to roll over. The driver of the truck was arrested for careless driving and investigators cited driver fatigue as a potential cause of the accident.
Truck Drivers and Owners May Be Held Liable For Accidents
Accidents between trucks and farm equipment often involve the truck attempting to pass the more slow-moving farm equipment, but doing so unsafely and causing great damage to the farm equipment and its driver. Truck drivers are often under enormous pressure from employers to meet deadlines and to drive for far longer hours than is safe. As a result, a truck driver may try to save time by passing a tractor, car, or other vehicle when it is not necessarily safe to do so. And when they do take the risky move of passing the vehicle, the truck driver may be too fatigued to properly make the maneuver. Thus, as a result of pressures to meet deadlines, innocent parties suffer through property damage, injury, and even death.
Truck drivers, owners, and operators can be held liable for the property and personal damage caused by their negligent driving, and the truck accident attorneys at The Hershewe Law Firm in Joplin, MO have decades of experience in successfully bringing claims on behalf of injured victims and their families, winnings millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for their clients. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, contact one of the truck accident attorneys at The Hershewe Law Firm today to schedule a free consultation.