A Colorado truck driver has been charged with vehicular homicide after a fatal trucking accident occured in Rapid City, South Dakota. The 53-year-old driver worked for a Denver-based trucking company called Navajo Express. The trucker crossed the median on Interstate 90 and crashed head-on into a Jeep traveling the opposite direction. The driver of the Jeep was killed. After the crash, the driver admitted to using Ambien, a medication for insomnia, two days before the fatal collision occurred.
After the crash, a drug recognition expert assessed the trucker and found that he was impaired by a central nervous-system depressant. While he did admit to taking Ambien two days earlier, there was no solid evidence that he was currently under the influence of Ambien or any other drug during the crash. The judge, however, set his bond at $10,000 and he will return to court for a hearing.
Fatigued Truckers Cause Fatal Crashes
There are more than 15 million commercial trucks on the road every year. These truckers were responsible for more than 12,000 commercial trucking accidents, resulting in 1,654 injuries and 249 deaths over a three year period. Driver error was responsible for 87% of those crashes. Driver error includes distracted driving, inexperienced driving and driving fatigued.
Statistics continue to show that fatigued truck drivers cause serious and fatal accidents. In fact, about one in four truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel every single month. To avoid falling asleep behind the wheel, many truck drivers turn to stimulants to stay awake. A recent sampling of truckers found that 6% of truckers were actively abusing stimulants, such as cocaine or methamphetamines to stay awake. While these stimulants may help them stay awake at first, studies have shown that these drugs can impair the driver’s cognitive and motor functions and can lead to a chronic state of fatigue.
Contact Our Pueblo Trucking Accident Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been injured in a trucking accident in Pueblo, Colorado, it is important that you speak to an experienced Pueblo trucking accident attorney immediately. Your attorney will need to investigate all aspects of your case to determine who is truly to blame for your accident and your injuries. During this time, your attorney can protect your rights to compensation and prevent insurance companies from taking advantage of you while you are recovering. Call Pueblo attorney Smith & Smith, today for a FREE CONSULTATION – (719) 544-0062. We can help you every step of the way.
