February 5th, 2010 | 
Author: KILLEN, AL: A teacher’s aide was injured in a truck accident Wednesday night in Lauderdale County, Alabama. The truck collision happened on US Highway 43, in the town of Killen near the Tennessee border. The truck accident is the third in the last week in the area which is 113 miles south of Nashville, TN and 128 miles northwest of Birmingham, AL.
The trailer truck crossed over the highway, left the road and plunged down a 150 foot embankment.
At around 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday, 30 year old Kevin Black, a special education teacher’s aide from Florence, AL was driving south on US 43, in a Suzuki XL7…
Mr. Black suddenly swerved into the northbound lanes, where he clipped a northbound tractor trailer driven by 54 year old Larry Patterson, Jr. of Florence, AL. Patterson was carrying three large steels coils on his trailer.
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The trailer truck crossed over the highway, left the road and plunged down a 150 foot embankment. The 18 wheeler finally came to a stop about 100 feet down the hill. About 250 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out of one the truck’s fuel tanks which had ruptured in the truck collision. The truck accident also knocked the three steel coils off the truck’s trailer, and one rolled off about 200 feet.
A witness at the truck accident called 911, and went to the aid of the Suzuki driver Black, whose vehicle had crashed after clipping the truck. Reportedly Mr. Black told the witness that the truck accident started when he spilled some coffee. When he reached down to retrieve it he lost control and drove into the path of the northbound tractor trailer.
Mr. Black suffered a laceration to the head, and MedFlight airlifted him to Huntsville Hospital, about 57 miles away. A family member reportedly talked to the principal at the school he taught at and said Mr. Black was alright and expected to recover.
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The truck driver, Mr. Patterson, was able to get out of the tractor trailer and was not injured in the truck accident. However, troopers gave him a field sobriety test which he failed. He was then arrested for DUI and taken into custody.
Authorities would not release Patterson’s blood alcohol level, but confirmed that the legal breath alcohol content level is 0.02 for drivers operating commercial vehicles.
The Muscle Shoals HazMat team was brought in to clean up the diesel fuel spill from the truck accident, which threatened a nearby pond and creek. The Alabama Department of Transportation was also involved in the clean-up. The crews would work for hours, finally finishing at around 4:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
Authorities shut down both lanes of US 43 after the accident and did not reopen them until approximately 5:00 a.m. Thursday.
STREET VIEW
So far the only charges brought have been the DUI citation against the truck driver. The truck accident remains under investigation and additional charges may be filed against one or both of the drivers.
This is the third major accident involving a tractor trailer in the area in just one week. A truck accident Friday killed three people, including two children.
The attorneys at Truck Accident Law state that when a truck driver under the influence of alcohol makes the decision to get behind the wheel of their semi tractor-trailer, any driver traveling near them is at risk for injury or death. The power and sheer force of a speeding, 18-wheel truck is a dangerous weapon that could forever change your life. Read more about DUI cause of truck accidents.
For more information about Alabama trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact our nationwide truck accident attorneys for the best advise possible. For a free initial consultation, talk to a Alabama truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.
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