September 27th, 2010 | 
Author: MAPLE HEIGHTS, OH – A teen driver has been arrested and charged after he allegedly caused a deadly truck accident Tuesday afternoon, September 14, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The fatal collision occurred on Interstate 480 near the Lee Road Exit in a suburb southeast of the city of Cleveland, OH. The truck accident area is in the far north central section of the state, about 119 miles east of Toledo, OH and about 103 miles southwest of Erie, Pennsylvania.
At around 3:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon 51 year old Jonathan D. Williams of Lorain, OH was driving a semi tractor trailer truck west on I-480, traveling through Cuyahoga County, OH just south of the city of Cleveland. There was one unidentified male passenger riding in the cab of the tractor trailer. The semi truck was owned by Tank Integrity Services. Tank Integrity Services, Inc. is based in North Royalton, OH.
The truck accident occurred at about 3:10 p.m. as the semi trailer truck was traveling through the suburb of Maple Heights near the exit for Lee Road. Jason Sloan, 18 years old, was driving a Chevrolet Cobalt westbound on the interstate when he came up behind the semi trailer truck. According to Cleveland police the 18 year old, who reportedly did not have a valid driver’s license, crashed into the back section of the trailer truck and forced it off the highway.
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The semi trailer truck went off the interstate and plunged down the embankment, falling onto the Lee Road Exit ramp below. The trailer truck flipped over onto its side trapping the driver and his passenger before finally coming to a rest. The impact of the truck accident broke open the trailer section of the semi and the cargo was strewn across the Lee Road Exit ramp and onto the grassy areas alongside the interstate. No other persons or vehicles were involved in the truck accident.
Cleveland police and emergency personnel responded to the scene of the rollover crash. The driver, Mr. Williams, suffered fatal injuries in the truck accident and was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger was also injured in the collision. He was treated and stabilized at the site before being transported by medical helicopter to nearby Metro Health Medical Center. The extent of his injuries and his condition has not been released to the public.
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Police shut down a section of I-480 where the truck accident occurred and also closed off the Lee Road Exit ramp which was blocked by the overturned semi trailer. Crews worked for over an hour and a half to clear the debris out of the traffic lanes. Another crew worked to get the disabled trailer truck back up on its wheels and towed off the interstate.
The traffic delays caused by the truck accident would last for several hours through the afternoon commuter rush. The interstate lanes finally began to clear up at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Officials with the Cleveland Police Accident Investigation Unit conducted a reconstruction of the truck accident. Their preliminary investigation found that the driver of the Chevy Cobalt, Mr. Sloan, likely caused the deadly collision. It was during this initial investigation that police determined that Mr. Sloan did not hold a valid driver’s license.
Mr. Sloan was arrested at the scene of the truck accident and has been charged with Aggravated Vehicular Homicide. Additional charges may be brought pending the completion of the truck accident investigation.
For more information about Ohio trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact a nationwide truck accident attorney at Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP for expert advice. For a free initial consultation, talk to a OH truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.
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