The Georgia State Patrol have reported that a 30-year-old man behind the wheel of a semi-tractor trailer may face criminal charges for his involvement in a fatal accident on the afternoon of Dec. 16. The incident is still being investigated by members of the GSP’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team, but initial reports indicate that the tractor-trailer ignored a stop sign just seconds before the deadly truck crash.
According to the GSP, the semi was proceeding southbound on Vinson Highway when it ran through a stop sign at the Fall Line Freeway. As the truck entered the Fall Line Freeway, it was struck on the side by a Ford F-150 pickup truck traveling at highway speed. The force of the impact then caused the tractor-trailer to topple on top of the already badly damaged pickup truck. The accident took place at approximately 12:30 p.m.
The Baldwin County Coroner’s Office says that the man and woman who had been traveling in the pickup truck were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services workers. They were a husband and wife from Milledgeville according to media accounts of the car accident. The truck driver escaped the collision without injury.
Police reports can provide personal injury attorneys pursuing compensation for car accident victims with valuable evidence even if police choose not to file criminal charges. This is because civil plaintiffs are not required to prove their claims beyond reasonable doubt. When presented with facts like these, experienced attorneys might study police reports for indications of fatigue or distraction. Attorneys may also seek to establish whether truck drivers were properly trained and operating commercial vehicles with functioning safety systems capable of meeting federal regulations.
Source: WMAZ, UPDATE: Driver identified in Baldwin Co. crash that killed husband, wife, Staff report, Dec. 16, 2018
