One Killed, One Injured When Semi Truck Hits Pickup near Sleepy Eye

A passenger in a pickup was killed and the driver critically injured in crash on Highway 4 in Home Township, Minnesota.

A Hino Straight semi truck was traveling northbound on Highway 4 in Home Township, Brown County. A Chevy pickup was southbound on Highway 4. The semi crossed onto the shoulder, over-corrected, slid into the southbound lane, and hit the pickup, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The accident happened at about 2:15 p.m.

This crash, which may have been preventable, seriously injured Philip Patrick Sellner and killed Joseph Hilarius Sellner, both in their sixties and residents of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.

Driving Too Fast for Wet Roads

Because the roads were wet at the time, the driver of the truck was required by law to be driving a speed that was safe for the conditions.  This means that, even if the speed limit is 55, the legally required speed may be much lower because of road conditions.

“The Minnesota legislature enacted special trucking laws to help protect occupants of smaller vehicles,” said attorney Fred Pritzker. “A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds.”

If a truck accident lawyer can prove that a driver was traveling too fast for the conditions, that commercial vehicle driver, the owner of the truck and others may be legally responsible. Under Minnesota law, this is the case even if the people injured and killed were not wearing seatbelts.

If you have questions about how wet roads and not wearing seatbelts affect a personal injury or wrongful death claim, contact our law firm. You can call 612-338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free), or use our online free consultation form. Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman are our lead lawyers for these cases.