Virginia Trucker Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash Along I-85

A 58-year-old UPS truck driver from Chesterfield County, Virginia, died Wednesday morning as the result of a wreck in the tractor-trailer he was driving. According to reports from CBS 6 News in Richmond, the accident happened at around 1:20 AM along I-85, just outside Charlotte, North Carolina.

Witnesses say that the trucker was attempting to pass another vehicle when either a driver error or mechanical malfunction caused the tractor-trailer to leave the left side of the road and strike a bridge. North Carolina State Highway Patrol Spokesperson Sergeant K.L. Blakley said that it appears the driver was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and was ejected from the cab of the truck. He was declared dead at the scene when paramedics arrived.

Witnesses told troopers that a faulty tire might be to blame for causing the accident; however investigators said they could not confirm that, and they were still working to determine the cause of the crash.

Estimates by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration indicate that seat belt usage rates among commercial truck drivers were 78 percent in 2010. Data shows that truck drivers are 80 percent less likely to be killed in the event of a crash if they are buckled up.

That is why the Richmond truck accident attorneys with Geoff McDonald and Associates ask that all motorists buckle up before the vehicle moves. If you have been injured in a truck accident at no fault of your own, contact an experienced attorney today.