December 22nd, 2010 | 
Author: CHRISTIANA, DE – A truck accident on a highway in New Castle County, Delaware caused major traffic delays Thursday afternoon, December 2nd. A semi trailer flipped over as it was taking the ramp from Interstate 95 onto Delaware State Route 1 near the city of Christiana, DE. The truck accident area is in the far north part of the state about 10 miles southwest of the city of Wilmington, about 67 miles northeast of Baltimore, Maryland and about 41 miles southwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Late Thursday morning 32 year old truck driver Leon J. Buckley II of Temple Hills, MD was driving a 2006 Volvo semi tractor trailer north on Interstate 95 in New Castle County, DE. The semi was carrying a trailer but the cargo and destination of the driver is not known.
The truck accident occurred shortly before noon on Thursday when the driver reached the juncture with Delaware State Route 1, just north of the city of Christiana. Mr. Buckley left the northbound lanes of I-95 and was on the ramp to southbound DE State Route 1 when he suddenly lost control of his 18 wheeler. The semi trailer went off the road as it rounded a curve on the ramp and crashed into a guardrail. The semi truck flipped over on its right side, falling on the guardrail and landing across part of DE State Route 1’s southbound traffic lanes.
No other persons or vehicles were involved in the truck accident.
Delaware State Police Troopers and local emergency personnel rushed to the scene of the overturned semi truck. The driver, Mr. Buckley, was apparently able to get out of the cab section and was not injured in the rollover truck accident.
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The overturned tractor trailer caused almost immediate traffic delays that would last well into the afternoon. State Police Troopers shut down several lanes of DE State Route 1 around the truck accident scene so that highway crews could get in to begin clearing the downed semi trailer truck off the roadway. Police would also shut down the off and on ramps from both northbound and southbound I-95.
The closures would have a major impact on traffic in the area, including the routes to nearby Christiana Mall. At 2:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon traffic was still being diverted around the truck accident site and drivers were forced to use the shoulder of DE State Route 1 in the area near the flipped semi trailer. State Police also issued alerts over local media alerting drivers of the crash and advising them to take alternate routes.
A heavy duty tow truck was brought to the scene to get the semi trailer back up on its wheels. Once the tractor trailer was upright it was towed from the truck accident site. Highway crews also had to repair and replace a section of the highway’s guardrail that was damaged by the 18 wheeler truck. The crash site was finally cleared by late Thursday afternoon after 3:00 p.m., as the evening commuter rush was beginning.
Investigators reconstructed the rollover crash and interviewed the driver. Police determined that the truck accident was caused by excessive speed and the semi driver was traveling too fast on the off ramp. The truck driver, Mr. Buckley, was charged with Driving at an Unsafe Speed.
It is believed the investigation of the truck accident has been completed.
Gordon Elias & Seely, LLP recommend that if you know anyone who has been injured or killed as the result of a commercial truck accident involving a semi truck, 18 wheeler, big rig, tractor trailer or bus, tell them to immediately contact a qualified truck accident lawyer for advice. Gordon, Elias & Seely LLP are licensed in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Washington, DC and have informal relationships with other truck accident lawyers. Visit our Wilmington DE truck accident lawyer page or call 800.773.6770.
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