Man Identified in Lancaster County Crash

Twenty-three year old Curtis J. Harris from East Petersburg was killed in a car crash recently when his vehicle was sandwiched between a tractor trailer and a box truck on Lincoln Highway East in Paradise Township. According to police, the incident happened around 6:30 am.

Harris was at a red light behind a Freightliner tractor trailer when the driver of a Freightliner box truck failed to observe the light and hit Harris’s vehicle from behind. The impact pushed Harris’s car into the back of the truck in front of him at the light, causing severe damage to the vehicle and fatal injuries.

There is no indication yet whether police will charge the driver of the box truck.

Fatalities Common with Tractor Trailer Accidents

It’s common for accidents on area roadways to include tractor trailers, but in most cases, parties are traveling at high speeds. This one is somewhat unusual because two of the three vehicles involved were at a standstill. Despite the difference, the accident still proved fatal – something that is unfortunately not unusual for vehicle crashes involving tractor trailers.

Statistics from the US Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that as many as 98 percent of all accidents involving semi-tractor trailers result in at least one fatality. For every 100 miles driven on the country’s highways, there are more than two deaths that occur, as well as more than 60 injuries. Because they are massive in size and weigh far more than the average vehicle, tractor trailers are able to cause serious damage and death during even a relatively minor accident.

Making matters even worse, many of the laws and regulations put in place in an effort to make the driving of tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles safer are sometimes disregarded. Drivers sometimes report being overworked, driving tired, and being rushed to reach their destination within a certain timeframe. All of this adds to the risk and makes an already dangerous situation even worse.

Add to that the severity of the injuries – rarely are tractor trailer accidents merely fender benders with minor to no injuries – and you’ve got a formula for disaster.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident with a tractor trailer or other commercial vehicle, we can help. Our team understands the industry and knows how devastating these events can be. For more information or to speak to someone about a vehicle accident, contact Heavens Law at 888.897.5377 to learn more.