Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Any collision involving a semi-truck can have serious consequences. When the other party is a pedestrian, however, the aftermath can be especially deadly. On Tuesday near Cape Girardeau, a pedestrian was struck by a tractor trailer on the interstate. The incident was further complicated by a discovery made by medical personnel after the victim was taken to a local hospital: he had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face before the truck hit him.

The collision happened Tuesday morning on Interstate 55 (near mile marker 90) at around 9:00 a.m. According to the Southeast Missourian, the victim (who has not yet been identified) had gotten out of his truck and attempted to cross the highway when he was struck by an eighteen wheeler. By all accounts, the truck driver took every possible action to avoid the collision, nearly rolling his truck in the process.

Police and EMTs responded: the victim was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where it was discovered that he had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face immediately before exiting his vehicle. He was then transported to a St. Louis hospital, where he is listed in serious condition with life-threatening injuries. Local police are investigating the incident as an attempted suicide, but they have declined to provide specific details, out of consideration to the victim's family. Police are also declining to comment on whether or not the victim may have walked into traffic intentionally.

While we don't have all the details about this particular incident, we do know that pedestrian fatalities on interstates and other highways are becoming more and more prevalent. Sometimes, drivers leave their vehicles after a minor collision, break down, or other incident, and then find themselves walking on busy roadways. Since other motorists don't usually expect to see pedestrians on highways, it's becoming disturbingly common for collisions to occur under these circumstances.

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This week, our Missouri truck accident attorneys were pleased to see that the Missouri Senate passed an important bill that directly impacts the safety of Missouri motorists in more ways than one. Bill SB443 puts Missouri in compliance with federal standards related to commercial truckers who have a history of driving under the influence.

To read a summary of SB443, click here.

The bill passed 29-4, and will now proceed to the House. Under the terms of the new legislation, drivers who have suspended or revoked licenses will find it much more difficult to have limited driving privileges reinstated. Those drivers will no longer be able to obtain restricted licenses due to the need for medical treatment, or to prevent an "undue hardship." Additionally, drunk driving offenders would be required to wait 45 days (instead of 30, under current law) to regain any limited driving privileges. Finally, importantly, interstate truck drivers will be required to submit written medical proof that they are indeed fit to drive.

Aside from the obvious safety benefits of SB443, the Senate's passage of the bill will likely stop the state from losing tens of millions of federal dollars for Missouri road construction and improvements. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had set a January 30 deadline for all states to comply with federal mandates, but in late 2011, approximately 1/3 of states (including Missouri) reported that they would not meet that deadline. Last year, about $20 million in Missouri's federal funds were repurposed from construction to highway safety efforts, because the state was one of 15 not in compliance with federal regulations related to drunk drivers. Until the law is changed, those funds will continue to be repurposed.

FMCSA has warned that states failing to meet the deadline could lose 5% of highway funding, meaning that Missouri stands to lose approximately $30 million this year. For that reason, state legislators have put a rush on the bill. The Senate Transportation Committee took a single day to approve SB443, and the Senate voted for its passage on January 27.

Continue reading "Missouri Senate Passes SB443 to Comply With Federal Mandates Regarding Truck Drivers and Drunk Driving Offenses" »