NTSB Cites Driver Fatigue in Turnpike Crash that Seriously Injured Tracy Morgan
In mid-August, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its report on the multi-car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that severely injured actor/comedian Tracy Morgan, killed another occupant in his limousine bus, and injured many others. The report found that the driver of the Wal-Mart truck whose actions set off the chain reaction crash affecting 21 people in six vehicles had been awake for 28 hours when he failed to properly slow from a 65 mph speed in a construction zone, thereby causing the crash.
The crash occurred on June 7, 2014 near Cranbury when the Wal-Mart-operated 2011 Peterbilt truck-tractor with semitrailer slammed into Morgan’s slow-moving limo, causing the limo to hit other vehicles, eventually involving four more vehicles. There were five passengers in the limo’s passenger compartment, one of whom was killed while the other four were all seriously injured, including Morgan, who was in a coma for weeks after the accident and doesn’t remember the crash occurring. The passenger compartment for the limo had only one point of exit that became inoperable during the accident, delaying first responders.
The NTSB found that the truck driver drove for nearly a mile into the construction zone on the New Jersey Turnpike at speeds of over 65 mph, despite the warning signs instructing drivers of a 45 mph speed limit. The truck did not begin to slow its speed below 65 mph until it was approximately 200 feet from the point of impact with the limo. The board found that if the truck had been travelling at the 45 mph speed, it could have avoided the crash.
The report concluded that driver fatigue was the main cause of the accident. The driver of the truck had driven 800 miles from his home in Georgia to Delaware the day before the crash and had reported for duty without getting any sleep first. He then began a 14-hour workday, and was 13.5 hours into the workday when he crashed into the limo. In total, he had been awake for 28 hours without sleep when he caused the crash, driving and/or working most of that time. The NTSB found that while Wal-Mart had included fatigue in its training program, it did not have a sufficient fatigue-monitoring program in place to determine whether its drivers were properly managing fatigue.
Because of the size and weight of trucks, trucking accidents can cause serious injury and death, as this tragic case on the New Jersey Turnpike sadly demonstrated. If you or a loved one have been hurt in a trucking accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and/or for the loss of your loved one, even where the person who caused the accident may not have intended to cause any injuries or other damages. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to begin investigating the crash to determine the extent of your injuries, and to help you file any necessary police reports or claims with your insurance provider. For a free consultation on your claim from anywhere in the Wayne, New Jersey area, contact the personal injury attorneys at Massood Law Group, LLC. Call today for an evaluation of your possible lawsuit at 1-844-4MB-HURT or 973-696-1900.
