Large trucks are a requirement of modern society. From dirt and rock to sodas and diapers, there are things individuals need and something has to get them to the store or proper site. Even when truck drivers are careful, truck accidents can occur. When those drivers aren’t following safety rules or traffic laws, the risks of accident and injury increase.
One dump truck driver is being charged following an accident in New Jersey. According to police, the driver was operating his truck erratically prior to the accident. He was also reportedly driving fast.
The dump truck struck another vehicle that was stopped at an intersection. The accident allegedly caused both vehicles to travel into a nearby lake. The lake, which was small and shallow, was still big enough for both vehicles to become submerged in.
The driver of the car that the dump truck hit was 59 years old. He was the only one in the car at the time of the accident, authorities say, and he was killed as a result of the accident.
The 38-year-old dump truck driver was also injured in the accident. There was no other person in the dump truck. Prosecutors are charging the dump truck driver with death by auto. The court set the driver’s bail at $250,000. However, the injured driver was in the hospital and remained under guard while being treated.
In such cases, there may be some level of sympathy for the truck driver, who was also injured in the case. However, his injuries do not change whether he was at fault in the accident. There is a difference between criminal charges and civil lawsuits. Families of loved ones who are lost in a car accident may seek civil compensation outside the scope of criminal charges or cases.
Source: KDAL 610, “Dump-truck driver charged in fatal crash into lake in New Jersey” Jonathan Allen, Jul. 18, 2014