Louisiana Motorist Dies in Head-on Interstate 55 Collision with Tractor-Trailer

By Zane T. Cagle | October 13, 2017 | Car Accidents, Featured, Personal Injury, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death

Driver Traveling the Wrong-Way on Interstate 55

A Louisiana man was traveling the wrong-way on Interstate 55 Tuesday night when he struck an oncoming tractor-trailer in southeast Missouri according to officials.

The 35 year-old man died at the scene in Cape Girardeau County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol indicated the Louisiana man was driving a Chevrolet Silverado south in a northbound lane of the interstate, near the 106 mile marker. The pick-up struck a 2017 Volvo Convention tractor-trailer driven by a 43 year-old Charleston, Mississippi man. The condition of the tractor-trailer driver was not mentioned as serious.

Both drivers were reported as wearing seat belts.

At this time, investigators have not released and may not have determined why the Louisiana man was traveling the wrong way on the interstate nor how long he may have traveled going in the wrong direction.

Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions are generally the most serious of all crashes. However, in the scenario above, the speeds traveled on the interstate combined with a passenger vehicle striking such a large vehicle as a tractor-trailer is always devastating. Unfortunately, we see way more wrong-way crashes in our area than we should. It is compounded with the difficulty of never knowing why the driver was traveling the wrong way. We may never know if other drivers noticed or tried to signal the wrong-way driver. Investigators will try to uncover the possible causes.

Such are the devastating questions that follow such a serious and fatal crash.

Signage Re-Evaluation

After such a horrific tractor-trailer crash, undoubtedly, road sign placement and alerts will be examined to see if there was any way an out-of-the-area driver could have been confused or taken a wrong turn. Obviously, investigators and accident reconstruction experts do a full evaluation/investigation to try to determine as many possible causes of the truck crash. These investigations have to happen for a couple of reasons. One, victims of the crash often very much need to know how and why such a tragic event could take place. Two, investigations help determine liability or “fault”. And three, determining all of the possible cause information assists in the further safety measures that local, state and federal officials and safety groups may be able to use to collective make future safety recommendations. All data collected from these tragedies are evaluated and used in developing safer highways.

Remedies for Injured Persons

When someone is seriously injured in a tractor-trailer crash, they will need legal assistance. The tractor-trailer driver’s injuries were not listed, but many tractor-trailer drivers would assume they have only workers’ compensation to assist them with medical bills, lost wages and damages. That would be a false assumption.

We represent seriously injured victims of crashes and often, we represent truck drivers when a crash has not been their fault. Just as each person is unique, so are the injuries and the possible remedies.

We have represented a lot of truck drivers as well as passenger vehicle drivers. Generally speaking, truck drivers do not get hurt as often due to the statistics of being the larger vehicle, but it does happen. When a truck driver has been injured, the crash is usually extreme.

Call of for a free evaluation.

Call us at (314) 276-1681

About The Author

Zane T. Cagle

Zane T. Cagle is the founding president and lead trial attorney at The Cagle Law Firm. With a strong dedication to his clients, he has built a reputation for his tenacious representation in personal injury cases, ensuring each client's unique story is heard. Areas of Practice: Personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death. Bar Admissions: Supreme Court of Missouri, Illinois & Kentucky. Superior Court of U.S. Virgin Islands Education: Washington University School of Law. Awards: Super Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40 by The National Trial Lawyers Association, 10 Best in Missouri for Customer Satisfaction.

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