Any motor vehicle accident that involves a semi truck often has devastating results. Yesterday was no exception after a multi-vehicle crash in Palm Bay, Florida. Two cars and a pickup truck were struck by a semi on the highway.
The fatal accident occurred late in the evening in a construction zone on the highway. Four people were injured, including a construction worker who was hit during the commotion, and two others were killed in the crash. The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Thus far, troopers believe that the semi hit a sedan first; the sedan got stuck underneath the front wheel of the semi as it crashed into two other vehicles. The two people in the car that was first hit did not survive. The people in the second car that was struck were seriously injured and had to be airlifted to a hospital nearby.
The driver of the pickup truck was injured as well after his vehicle caught on fire. A trooper who happened to be nearby saw the flames and helped to extinguish the fire. The driver of the semi sustained minor injuries.
Since the investigation is ongoing, the exact cause of the crash is unknown. Investigators believe that the pickup truck had been slowing down in front of the other vehicles when the semi hit the first car. After that, it seems that the semi’s front brakes stopped functioning and the semi continued to move forward until all the vehicles came to a stop.
This is the third accident to occur in the construction zone and was the most serious. The extent of the injuries of those who survived is still unknown at this point. For all involved, it will take a while for the details to be sorted out.
Source: Florida Today online, “I-95 reopens after 2 die in Palm Bay wreck,” Andrew Knapp, 06 January 2011
