Trucks on New Mexico highways can pose a threat to other drivers. When severe winter weather is added to the mix, the potential for serious truck accidents increases. Sadly, when trucks are involved, these accidents can turn deadly.
A recent spate of storms across the state has resulted in numerous accidents. One accident near Albuquerque resulted in the death of a person who had stopped to assist a police vehicle that had been hit by a tractor trailer while the officer was investigating a previous crash. The person who stopped to help was a tow truck driver who was offering to help clear the prior accident.
The tow truck driver was outside of his vehicle when another tractor trailer hit him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Shortly after the fatal collision, another semi crashed while trying to avoid the truck that had killed the tow operator. The police officer whose vehicle was struck received minor injuries. The accident remains under investigation, and it is not known if speed contributed to the accident.
Winter weather can make road travel treacherous. While truck drivers have schedules to keep, safety should come first. Drivers can be cited for traveling too fast for conditions. When a fatal accident occurs, not only has a person died but a family has lost a loved one. While no one can undo the harm done by truck accidents, a civil suit brought in New Mexico against a party deemed responsible for the accidents can provide compensation for medical expenses, final costs and other verifiable losses.