No matter the time of day or night it is, drivers in Montana are likely to share the road with large trucks. While these massive trucks have a continuous presence on major and minor roadways throughout the nation, semi-trucks and tractor-trailers do present some dangers on the roads. Due to their large size, if a truck driver is not properly maneuvering the truck or driving safely, he or she could initiate a hazardous situation, resulting in a serious or even fatal truck accident.
Billings Police were recently dispatched to the scene of an accident that was presumably initiated by a semi-truck. Based on preliminary reports, the incident occurred when semitrailer knocked over a stoplight pole at around 1:40 p.m. at the corner of Poly Drive and North 27th Street.
The truck was hauling asphalt to a nearby road construction site when the driver of the truck attempted to make a right turn from North 27th Street onto Poly Drive. Police believe he cut the corner too tight, and the truck collided with the stoplight pole.
Following the collision with the stoplight pole, the traffic signal landed on top of vehicle that had been stopped at a red light on Poly Drive. This resulted in the pole crashing through the sunroof, injuring the female driver of the vehicle. According to emergency crewmembers, the driver of the car suffered injuries to her neck and back.
The accident is still under investigation. However, if authorities determine that the truck driver was at fault, liability could be placed on the negligent truck driver. This could help an injured victim recover compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.