St. Louis Snow Plows Involved in Several Crashes

By Zane T. Cagle | January 22, 2016 | Car Accidents, Featured, Personal Injury, Truck Accidents

First Major Snow Produces Car Crashes with Snow Plows

The snow on Tuesday during rush hour traffic was forecasted and despite warnings to give MODOT truck’s plenty of room, three crashes occurred with the snow plows.

According to the highway department, no one was injured. Spokesperson Sandy Baron said that the way people were driving while she was out including people driving way too fast for conditions and driving too close to snow plows.

Impatience

Snow plow driver Ken Merlo said, “Everybody’s in a hurt to get nowhere quick”. When a snow plow is hit, it is taken off the roadway and won’t be able to plow some roads which may result in more car crashes.

In several incidents, the highway department said people were following too closely. Merlo further stated, “You think man that snow plow is going way too slow I’m going to get around it, it’s not a good idea.”

State officials are concerned about the safety of their own employees, but they did acknowledge that when a car crashes with a snow plow, it is usually the passenger car that is going to be damaged. Generally speaking, any time a passenger car crashes with a heavy truck, the passenger car will suffer the most loss and the occupants have a greater chance of being seriously injured.

More Bad Weather

Since it is mid-January, we can predict more snowfall in the greater St. Louis Metro area.

Heeding warnings to give snow plows a wide berth is a smart safety reminder.

The first rule of the road in inclement weather is to SLOW DOWN. Allow more travel time and remember it is better to arrive an hour late than to not arrive at all.

If you have a true emergency reason for your travel such as a health crisis, calling an ambulance is the better idea. Most of us do not have emergency reasons to travel and our hurry is purely out of impatience and inconvenience. Traveling too fast for road conditions endangers all drivers. We’ve seen too many pile-ups on major interstates to know that a chain reaction can occur based on one crash and others following too closely.

If You Are Injured in a Car Crash

If you are involved in a car crash, you should immediately call 911 especially if you are involved in a crash on a busy highway or interstate.

The biggest safety concern is not that your crash will cause a traffic gridlock but that your crash may be actually get worse if other vehicles crash into you due to the location. We have seen too many serious injuries and deaths in rear-end scenarios when vehicles are on the shoulder or stopped in a lane. Last Saturday night was a prime example of lives lost tragically when area teens were killed when a van rear-ended their SUV in Maryland Heights. At this time, it is unclear why the SUV was stopped on Page Avenue at Lackland Avenue.

Call 911 immediately for everyone’s safety. Calling emergency personnel immediately can often be the difference in life or death for some victims. If you are injured, seek immediate medical help. After seeking medical help, you should contact a personal injury attorney to be sure that you set up your claim to maximize the compensation you will need for medical bills and lost wages. Our attorneys understand that dealing with the aftermath of a car crash can be overwhelming, so we are available seven days a week.

Call us seven days a week toll free, (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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