Concrete Truck Driver Faces DWI Charges after Killing Driver in Head-on Crash

According to multiple media outlets, a man was struck and killed by a concrete truck after the driver loses control in Branson, Missouri, on Wednesday morning.

Details of the Fatal Crash

Talat Kopurtas, 34, was driving his Buick Encore east on Highway 76 at around 10:15 a.m. when the wreck occurred. Police say the driver of a concrete truck failed to navigate a curve in the road and lost control, crossing over the center line and slamming into the car traveling eastbound.

Media sources report that Kopurtas died at the scene of the crash. The concrete truck driver, 56-year-old Michael D. Glidewell, was hospitalized for minor injuries. Both drivers wore seatbelts at the time of the crash. The incident occurred just east of Branson at the intersection of Lake Shore Drive.

According to one media outlet, police arrested Glidewell for felony driving while intoxicated.

Information regarding Trucking Accidents

The following information is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

• 3,903 people died in crashes involving large trucks in 2014.
• An estimated 111,000 people suffered injuries in crashes involving large trucks in 2014.
  • 74 percent of the people injured in these accidents were occupants of other vehicles.
• An estimated 438,000 large trucks were involved in police-reported traffic crashes during 2014.
• In 2014, large trucks accounted for 8 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes.