Amazon Truck Bursts into Flames Following Collision Just 8 Days after Prior Amazon Crash
An Amazon work truck burst into flames in Austin, Texas, on Monday, Feb. 1 when it was struck from behind by an SUV. The deadly collision occurred just 8 days after another Amazon truck accident sent two workers to the hospital in San Antonio.
The February Collision
Authorities report that a driver was killed on Monday morning when he rear-ended an Amazon Prime Semi-truck. The collision occurred in the westbound lanes of State Highway 71 near Montopolis Drive at around 2 a.m.
Austin police have reason to believe that the SUV was “traveling at a high rate of speed” when it struck the back of the semi. Part of the evidence is the fact that the SUV was able to wedge itself slightly beneath the semi despite the fact that the semi was equipped with an underride bar. This bar is meant to prevent deadly crashes where the tops of vehicles are sheared off when they hit a semi-trailer.
Police report that the Amazon truck was parked on the shoulder of the highway when it was struck by the SUV. The truck driver was not injured in the incident and was reportedly one of many individuals who called 9-1-1 regarding the accident after it occurred.
Witnesses state that “a big fireball” struck the trailer almost immediately after the crash. Both vehicles caught fire in the crash, and fire damage can be seen on both vehicles, extending along the back third of the semi-trailer. Police and fire crews remained on the scene for several hours to ensure that the truck fire was fully extinguished.
This deadly crash came just eight days after another Amazon truck was involved in an incident in San Antonio. In that case, the truck traveled through a highway barrier and over the side. No fatalities were reported in that incident, though both workers in the truck were hospitalized.
Commercial Truck Crashes in Texas
Commercial truck crashes–crashes involving trucks used for commercial purposes–are an unfortunately common occurrence on Texas roadways. In fact, in 2019, the Texas Department of Transportation reports that there were 39,193 commercial vehicle accidents in the state. That averages out to just over 107 truck accidents per day.
Truck accidents account for roughly 7% of all Texas auto accidents. However, of those truck accidents, 543 resulted in at least one fatality. In fact, out of all Texas auto accidents, 3,288 resulted in at least one fatality. That means that truck accidents account for nearly 17% of all fatal auto accidents despite only making up 7% of auto accidents over all.
This confirms the often-repeated fact that truck accidents have the potential to be far more dangerous than other auto accidents. With that in mind, it’s especially important for all of us to be familiar with the best driving practices for sharing Texas roads with commercial vehicles.
Keep these tips in mind when you’re driving near semi-trucks, and download and share our guide with your loved ones to help them be safer drivers, too.
If you’ve been involved in a commercial truck accident in Texas, contact the Houston car accident attorneys of Lapeze & Johns today for assistance in seeking financial relief.
Source : KXAN
