Actor and Comedian Tracy Morgan critically injured in New Jersey tractor trailer crash

Deadly tractor trailer crash leaves one dead and several, including Tracy Morgan, seriously injured

Former Saturday Live Cast Member and “30 Rock” star Tracy Morgan was critically injured early this morning when the limo bus he was riding in was hit by a tractor-trailer in a fatal six-vehicle accident on the New Jersey Turnpike, about 50 miles south of New York City. The crash left one passenger in the limo bus dead and several others with serious injuries. The Los Angeles Times reported that the limo bus was overturned after being hit by a tractor-trailer.

Two tractor-trailers were involved in the crash, which occurred about 1a.m. in the northbound lane in Robinsville. Earlier in the evening, Morgan had appeared at the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, as part of his multi-city comedy tour called “Turn It Funny.”

ABC News is reporting that a dozing truck driver didn’t see traffic slowing in front of his 18-wheeler until it was too late, […]

Pennsylvania turnpike worker killed by tractor-trailer

A fatal accident had a portion of the Pennsylvania turnpike in Chester County closed yesterday morning. A 61-year-old turnpike equipment operator, who was part of a crew completing maintenance in a closed lane, was struck and killed when a tractor-trailer entered the lane. Another turnpike worker was also injured in the accident. The deadly accident occurred in West Pikeland Township, shortly after 8a.m. on the westbound lane of the PA turnpike.

According to the Unites States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Safety Administration, almost 30% of all work zone crashes involve large trucks. They report that the number of people killed in work zone crashes involving large trucks has also been increasing, with over 1,000 fatalities and 180,000 injuries occurring during the last five years.

Highway work zones are hazardous not only for both motorists who drive through the complex array of signs and lane changes, […]

Are Stricter Penalties Needed to Keep Truck Drivers Focused on the Road? A Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyer Weighs In.

An investigation by an ABC news station in New York over a three-week period found that truck drivers on some of New York’s busiest highways are texting or talking on their cell phones while driving.

The investigative reporter said that the hidden camera investigation caught “truck drivers routinely, illegally and dangerously texting and talking on phones.” One camera caught a truck driver and his co-workers, all in the front seat, with all with eyes, including the drivers, focused on a cell phone. On another highway, a truck driver was filmed using two phones simultaneously while driving.

According to Eyewitness News 7 in New York, the Department of Transportation says that last year nearly 16,000 truckers were ticketed for using their cell phone, but only 4 of those were suspended and taken out of service. Eyewitness news referred to this as an epidemic and deadly problem. […]

10 dead after semi-truck hits a bus filled with students

FedEx semi-truck crashed head on into bus leaving 10 dead and dozens injured

A fatal collision on interstate 5 in Northern California yesterday left at least 10 people dead and dozens more injured. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were a total of 3,921 fatal truck accidents and 104,000 people injured in crashes involving large trucks in the U.S. in 2012, the last year for which statistics are available. A total of 317,000 large trucks were involved in traffic crashes during 2012.

An increase in truck-related highway fatalities recorded by the NHTSA in 2012 versus 2011 is firing renewed debate regarding the industry’s safety profile. This latest deadly crash raises even more concerns.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what caused the FedEx semi-truck to cross the median into on-coming traffic and crash head-on into a charter bus filled with high school students traveling to visit a local university. […]

Truck driver falls asleep while driving, causes fatal crash on I-78 in Allentown

A report referenced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration indicated that being awake for 18 hours is comparable to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, which is legally intoxicated and leaves you at equal risk for a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.

The truck driver in the fatal accident on I-78, who said he fell asleep at the wheel, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, careless driving and various traffic summaries. According to state police, he admitted nodding off 25 to 30 minutes before the crash. He tried to stay awake by rolling down the window and playing the radio, police said in court records. […]