Orem, UT (May 30, 2022) – A driver was hospitalized with critical injuries following a collision with a tanker truck on Sunday, May 29th in Orem.
A spokesman for the Utah Department of Public Safety said that the driver of a Ford Mustang was heading southbound on Interstate 15 in the area of milepost 269 at about 11:00 a.m. when it collided with the tanker truck.
The Mustang then slammed into the interstate’s median barrier, crossed back into the righthand lane, and became stuck underneath the middle of a tanker.
The truck dragged the vehicle for about 500 feet while it came to a full stop.
Both weather and speed are being looked into as potential factors in the incident.
The driver’s current condition is unknown as is the condition of the truck operator.
Officials are not releasing any identifying information about either person at this time.
No further details were immediately available.
Our thoughts are with the injured victims and their families at this time. We hope for their full recovery.
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 our truck accident lawyers in Utah 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.