Commercial Trucking Accident Leaves Pedestrian In Coma

Case Overview

This case involves a pedestrian who was struck by a delivery truck making a left turn into a warehouse. The truck driver did not realize he had hit the pedestrian and consequently, the truck dragged the pedestrian 20 yards before arriving at its destination. The pedestrian was left in a permanent coma as a result of the accident. An expert in commercial driving was sought to review the case and address lapses in the standard of practice that may have led to this incident.

Questions to the Transportation expert and their responses

When driving a commercial vehicle, what precautions do you generally take to avoid hitting pedestrians?

Based upon what I've seen thus far, this appears to have been a preventable collision. Left turns offer unique challenges. Frequently, these collisions are attributed to a blind spot created by the 'A' pillar of the vehicle. Regardless, it is the responsibility of the commercial driver to take action to reduce or eliminate 'blind spots'. Many if not all of these collisions also include inattentiveness and complacency.

Have you been involved in the training of drivers in accident prevention? If so, please describe.

In the course of my professional career, I have reviewed 10+ accidents involving commercial vehicles turning left into a pedestrian or cyclist. I have successfully completed two courses in bus-specific accident investigation from a transportation safety institute.

About the expert

This commercial vehicle safety expert has been active in the field since 1998. He began his career as a terminal supervisor for Greyhound after earning his BBA from Arizona State University. After gaining experience as a Greyhound training manager, he became the Director of Operations, Safety, and Human Resources at TNM&O Coaches Inc., itself a division of Greyhound. He later served as the Director of Safety and Risk fro Veolia Transdev, overseeing a transit system which included 650 bus operators. He currently serves as a Corporate Safety and Security Manager for a transportation firm in the Southwest.

E-125028

Specialties:

Transportation

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