Truck Falls from Overpass onto the 5 Freeway
In early January, an 18-wheeler seemingly fell from the sky onto the northbound 5 freeway. Well, it wasn’t exactly the sky, but an overpass. Around 10:00am on January 9, a truck fell off the overpass at the 118 and 5 interchange in Mission Hills. The driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, but no one else was hurt.
The truck was traveling over the interchange when the driver apparently lost control and the rig careened over the concrete barrier onto the highway below. It crashed and jackknifed, fortunately missing other trucks and cars.
One passing driver, George Smith, saw the truck falling and hit the brakes in an attempt to escape a collision. The front of the big rig glanced off his car and bounced backward, landing on the center divider. Smith was unhurt and ran to assist the injured truck driver until help arrived. The truck blocked all five lanes of the highway. Smith noted that if he had been even five feet further ahead, he may not have survived, as the truck would have landed on his car.
Smith’s defensive driving skills may have very well saved his life. Adopting defensive driving techniques can help you avoid car accidents and make you a safer driver. You can’t control the behavior of other motorists—or prevent trucks from plummeting from the sky—but you can control how you behave and react behind the wheel. Following are some defensive driving tips that can make your commute or trip safer and less stressful:
- Stay focused and don’t drive distracted. That means no cellphones and no texting. If you need to use your GPS, program it before you get on the road. Leave any fiddling with music up to your passenger and keep your eyes on the road.
- Plan “exit routes” in case other drivers make mistakes or unexpected moves. You can only trust yourself on the road—you never know what’s going to happen next.
- Don’t speed or tailgate. Always give yourself enough time and space to come to a safe stop in case traffic suddenly halts or there’s an unexpected object in the road.
- Keep an eye on your blind spots and avoid the blind spots of other drivers. This is especially true when driving near tractor-trailers. If you can’t see the driver in the truck’s mirror, they can’t see you either.
- Don’t give in to road rage. Just let it go.
- Look ahead. Keep your eyes far down the road in order to anticipate any upcoming traffic slowdowns or unusual road activity.
- And it should go without saying, never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
If you are hurt in a car accident by a reckless or careless driver, you deserve compensation. The Los Angeles attorneys at Taylor & Ring provide experienced and knowledgeable representation, and we fight for the rights of accident victims throughout Southern California. Contact our legal team today at 310.776.6390 or complete our contact form to schedule a consultation.
David Ring is a nationally renowned plaintiff’s personal injury trial attorney and has obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of seriously-injured individuals or families who have lost a loved one in a tragic accident. For more than 20 years, he has represented victims of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, assault, molestation and sexual misconduct in cases against a variety of employers and entities, including schools, churches and youth organizations.
He prides himself on providing aggressive, yet compassionate representation for children who have been sexually abused and women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted. Read more about David M. Ring.