Louisiana residents might be interested to learn about a fatal multi-vehicle crash involving a large box truck and a school bus that took place on March 5. The accident happened along a rural highway in Washington, just outside the town of Orondo. According to a preliminary investigation, Washington State Patrol troopers think that the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel.
The truck accident happened at about 8 a.m. while road conditions were dry and the weather was clear and sunny. A 54-year-old commercial truck driver crossed the center line on Highway 97 and collided with a passenger car and an Orondo School District bus that was occupied by at least 43 students.
The 22-year-old woman who was driving the passenger car was pronounced dead at the scene. A 12-year-old passenger in her car and 43 students from the school bus were treated at the hospital and then released. The 53-year-old school bus driver, the truck driver and a 36-year-old old truck passenger were all taken to the hospital for treatment. By the evening, they were listed in satisfactory condition. According to a spokesperson at the hospital, some of the students who were treated had fractures while others had bumps, bruises and lacerations.
A person who has been injured in a truck accident may wish to file a claim for financial compensation. If the accident involved an impaired, drowsy or otherwise negligent truck driver, both the truck driver and the trucking company that hired the driver may be liable for an accident victim’s injuries. An attorney may be able to help a victim of this kind of accident to file a claim against all of the responsible parties.
Source: ABC News, “Officials: Truck Driver Fell Asleep in Fatal Collision,” March 5, 2015
