Pedestrian Sustains Serious Injuries after Struck by Loose 18-Wheeler Tire
According to WDBJ7, a man suffered from serious injuries after a tire breaks loose from a semi-truck and crashes into him at the Virginia Welcome Center in Bristol on Saturday morning.
Truck Driver Faces Charges
Officials say a tractor-trailer driver pulled his big rig onto the right shoulder of Interstate 81 after driving over something in the highway at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time. In the process, a tire detached from the semi and rolled toward the Welcome Center.
WDBJ7 reports that the tire crashed through the parking lot, striking a sign before slamming into a pedestrian exiting the Welcome Center. The force from the tire knocked the man, 26-year-old Marvin Owens, into the front window of the Welcome Center.
Owens received treatment at Bristol Regional Medical Center for serious injuries, reports WDBJ7. The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Police charged the driver of the 18-wheeler for having defective equipment.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, according to WDBJ7.
Trucking Accident Statistics
The following information regarding large truck traffic crashes is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
- 3,903 people died in crashes involving large trucks in 2014.
- Occupants of other vehicles made up 73 percent of these fatalities.
- 10 percent of the fatalities were pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.
- Approximately 111,000 people sustained injuries in crashes involving large trucks in 2014.
- Over 16 percent of all large-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes had at least one prior speeding conviction.
