Pennsylvania Truck Accident Kills 1

A Pennsylvania woman died as a result of an accident when a box truck rear-ended her car on Jan. 16. Police reportedly detained the man who was driving the truck.

The accident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Route 65 in Ambridge. The woman was stopped in a southbound lane at the red light of an intersection when the Penske rental truck approached her vehicle. Police said that there was no evidence that the truck’s driver attempted to brake before it rear-ended her car. Investigators estimated that the truck was traveling at about 45 to 55 mph. The truck pushed the woman’s car about 260 feet. The trunk of the car was pushed forward into the backseat, completely destroying the rear end of the vehicle.

Police believe the 49-year-old Beaver County woman died instantly. Reports did not indicate that the truck’s driver, a 36-year-old Pittsburgh area man, was injured.

Police said that the truck driver is recovering from a methamphetamine addiction and takes prescription medications to assist this. They believe that he fell asleep behind the wheel of the truck, which was rented by the commercial roofing company he worked for, just before the accident. The man is wanted in Tennessee for the manufacture of methamphetamine and theft. Police will likely bring charges against him for the accident after he is extradited and tried in Tennessee.

The difficulty of coping with the loss of a loved one prompts many families to consider filing wrongful death suits for their family members’ deaths. There are often several liable parties in commercial truck accidents including drivers, operators and truck owners. Personal injury attorneys may be able to help families develop a claim after fatal truck accidents.

Source: WTAE, “Woman dies in Route 65 crash in Ambridge,” Amber Nicotra and Sheldon Ingram, Jan. 16, 2015