GRAVEL TRUCK ACCIDENT TAKES 2 LIVES

According to the RCMP, two Nanaimo, British Columbia, residents died in a crash involving a gravel truck in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, which is south of Edmonton. The car accident happened at the intersection of 47th Street and Highway 13 on July 8.

Police determined in a preliminary investigation that the gravel truck, which was hauling a trailer, made a left-hand turn into the path of a Chrysler Intrepid containing the two B.C. residents. It appears that the driver of the Intrepid tried to avoid a collision with the truck but was unsuccessful. Authorities described the damage to the Intrepid as “extreme” and said that emergency crews had to free the 63-year-old woman and 65-year-old man inside the car with the Jaws of Life. However, the pair did not survive the injuries that they suffered.

The truck driver was not physically injured in the accident, but he was very “distraught” and taken into the care of emergency services. Police say that weather, speed and alcohol did not contribute to the crash. The RCMP has not filed charges and are still investigating what caused the collision.

When fatal car accidents happen in British Columbia, the family members of the victims could take legal steps to recover the damages that they suffered as a result of their loved ones’ deaths. If their legal action is a success, the compensation that the survivors receive could pay for reasonable funeral and remains disposal expenses. The family members may also be entitled to compensation for loss of household income and loss of guidance and care. In this case, the investigation would have to reveal negligence on the part of the truck driver or even his employer in some way, whether he drove for too many hours without rest and was fatigued or has a record or medical condition that would have precluded his being hired by his employer.

Source: CBC NEWS , “B.C. pair killed in gravel truck collision in central Alberta“, July 09, 2014