Tractor Trailer Crash Kills Motorcyclist

Interstate 81 northbound between exits 45 and 49 in South Middleton Township in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania had to be closed recently due to a deadly accident involving a motorcyclist and a tractor trailer.

Police shut down the stretch of highway during rush hour to allow Cumberland County Emergency services to tend to the injured party. Unfortunately, it was too late to save his life and the driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident occurred when a motorcycle struck a tractor trailer. The motorcyclist, Michael Levan, was killed when he tried to merge onto I-81 northbound and lost control of his motorcycle. He was thrown into the left lane where he was struck by the tractor trailer and then his motorcycle. Levan was wearing his helmet.

Tractor Trailer Accidents are Often Fatal

Accidents involving tractor trailers or semi-trucks are some of the most dangerous on the roadways. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, in 2014, there were more than 6500 truck-related accidents in the state. One hundred thirty six of them were fatal and the majority occurred on a state highway.

These numbers are mirrored across the country – every year thousands of tractor trailers and other large vehicles are involved in crashes. Sharing the road with huge tractor trailers is risky because of their weight and the speed at which they travel. It’s difficult for them to stop or make adjustments, and incidents that might be “close calls” in a regular passenger car or truck are deadly when they involve a truck.

Everyday people are injured or worse in accidents and many of these accidents involve tractor trailers. Sharing the roads with these oversized vehicles is risky and can result in fatal injuries you or the tractor trailer driver makes one wrong move.

If you have been injured in an accident involving a tractor trailer or you have lost a loved one in an accident on the nation’s roadways, we can help. For more information or to speak to an attorney about your vehicle accident, contact Heavens Law at 888.897.5377.