Steel Beam from Semi-Truck Strikes, Injures Driver
According to the Paramus Patch, a driver was injured after being struck by a steel beam that dislodged from a semi-truck in Paramus, New Jersey, on Wednesday morning.
About the Semi-truck Accident
A man in a Toyota Corolla was driving on Route 17 South when the injury accident happened. A semi-trailer hauling 2,500-lb. steel beams attempted to avoid another vehicle when it slammed into the rear of a disabled semi-truck in the middle of the highway.
The Paramus Patch reports that semi-trailer crash caused the steel beams to spill onto both north and southbound lanes of the highway. One of the steel beams crashed into the Toyota, causing the man to be trapped inside. The 56-year-old was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with serious injuries from the accident.
Another vehicle was hit by the steel beam, reports the Paramus Patch. The 48-year-old was not hospitalized but complained of pain. The trucking accident closed the highway for several hours, and the crash remains under investigation.
Trucking Accident Statistics
The following information regarding truck crashes 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.