Linda Beeman Killed In Underride Accident With Tractor-Trailer On Highland Dr

Holladay, UT (July 05, 2022) – Unified police were called to the scene of a fatal collision involving a 74-year-old woman and a Coca-Cola tractor-trailer on Tuesday, July 5th. 

At about 4:40 a.m., a tractor-trailer attempted to make a lefthand turn out of a Macy’s parking lot, in the 4500th block of  Highland Drive in front of a southbound Honda Accord causing the smaller vehicle to slide partly underneath the trailer.  

The Honda’s roof was sheared from the vehicle and the driver, identified as 74-year-old Linda Shelton Beeman, a resident, of Millcreek, died on impact. The Honda rolled another 150 yards before coming to an uncontrolled stop.

A driver-assist company was notified that the airbags had deployed and alerted police when an agent was unable to contact the driver. The truck operator also notified the police. 

The investigation into speed and right of way is ongoing. 

Highland Drive from 4600 South to 4500 South was shut down in both directions for several hours.

We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased victim, Mrs. Linda Shelton Beeman, at this time.

There are two types of underride collisions, side, and rear, and both are extremely dangerous for the driver and passengers of the smaller vehicle. Underride collisions are, without a doubt, one of the most treacherous kinds of motor vehicle accidents in Utah irrespective of the types of vehicles involved.  

In a side underride crash, the smaller vehicle collides with the side of an oversized truck or the trailer section of a tractor-trailer. This extraordinarily precarious scenario in which the automobile slips underneath the trailer can shear the top off of the car and critically disfigure, injure, behead, bisect, or otherwise kill the people inside. 

This kind of underride crash can occur anytime a tractor-trailer is perpendicular to the flow of traffic and catches other drivers unaware. For example, a tractor-trailer making a turn through an intersection, a U-turn, or that has jackknifed could potentially be involuntarily involved in an underride accident.

While it seems as though an oversized commercial truck would be a difficult thing to miss, some factors could make it difficult to see, particularly if it is crossing lanes of traffic where motorists, often because of distracted driving, are not expecting it. 

Sun glare and oncoming headlights shining in a driver’s eyes could make it difficult to see close-up, poorly lit objects. Poor or missing reflectors on the tractor-trailers certainly won’t help matters any. Some colors are harder to notice, especially those that blend into the background, and a stationary object is always more challenging to see than an object in motion. Basically, even massive trucks can be camouflaged on the roadway, making it tough for drivers to recognize the impending danger before it is too late.

A rear underride crash can take place for similar reasons, but trucks hauling specific kinds of freight are more prone to these collisions. Trucks transporting payloads that overhang the edge of the trailer, like long beams or lumber, are far more likely to be impacted by a smaller vehicle. 

Trucks are designed to have reflective strips along the trailer’s bottom edge in addition to working taillights. Reflective triangles attached to the ends of protruding loads can help cut down on underride collisions.

If you were injured in an underride accident, contact the truck accident lawyers at Jardine Law Offices P.C. at (801) 350-3506 to schedule a free case evaluation and see how we can help you.

Notes: The details and information utilized to create this post were gathered through the use of secondary sources. The details surrounding this accident have not been independently verified by the writing staff at Jardine Law Offices P.C.. These sources include but are not limited to newspaper stories, local news sources, local and state police reports, and eyewitness accounts about serious accidents that take place in Farmington and Salt Lake City, Utah. If you locate any information that is inaccurate, please contact us right away so that we can update the post with the most accurate information available. If you would like the post to be removed, please let us know and we will remove it as soon as possible. 

Disclaimers:The attorneys at Jardine Law Offices P.C. have worked hard through the years to build a solid business reputation in the community. We write about these serious incidents to bring awareness about the dangers associated with driving in hopes that our fellow community members will use an abundance of caution when operating a motor vehicle and avoid being involved in a serious accident themselves. This story is not intended to be a solicitation for business. The information provided in this post should not be misconstrued as medical or legal advice. The photos used in this post are not taken from the scene of this accident.