A big rig driver is in serious condition at the hospital after his 18-wheeler crashed into a bridge support.
The accident occurred early this morning, around 3:15 a.m., while the driver was transporting frozen chicken. He was exiting westbound US-80 onto northbound I-635 when the cargo shifted, throwing the rig off balance. The 18-wheeler flipped off the road into the overpass support. The cab was pinned between two of the pillars.
- Load Shift Warning Sign
It took emergency crews almost two hours to free the driver from the wreckage. After he was rescued, he was flown by CareFlite to the hospital where he remains in serious condition. His passenger, a female, was freed quickly from the wreck and was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
Most load shift accidents are a result of taking a corner too fast. Even if an 18-wheeler is carrying its load evenly dispersed throughout the container, physics still define how cargo responds to sudden changes in direction. Cargo – including frozen chicken – is a separate entity than the truck itself. The truck gets the cargo moving at, say, 55 mph. On the highway, both truck and cargo are moving in the same direction at that speed. If the vehicle makes a sudden change in direction, the truck will be moving one way and the cargo will be moving a different direction. With all the cargo’s weight piling up on one side of the trailer, the semi will lose balance and tip. It’s likely this is what occurred this morning on US-80.
From attorney Jeff Rasansky and the team at his office – drive safely, Dallas.
