A 19-year-old was killed in a collision with a semi truck on Taggart Road in Darlington Township on January 9, 2016. The young man was airlifted to the hospital from the accident scene, but was pronounced dead at the hospital. The teenager graduated from high school last year. He was driving a 2013 Chevy Cobalt.
The driver of the truck and his passenger only received minor injuries and were not taken to the hospital. Darlington Township police are investigating the accident.
Some news outlets are reporting that the crash was head-on. There is no official word on road or weather conditions at the time of the accident, but temperatures in the area were in the mid-40s.
Crashes between semi trucks and passenger cars often result in serious injuries or fatalities to those in the smaller vehicles because of several factors. These trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a car. The truck’s stopping distance can be as much as 500 feet when traveling at 65 mph, and can be longer depending on road conditions.
Federal regulations on these large trucks are quite strict and must be followed. Corporations may sometimes cut corners on maintenance, safety equipment, and may have their drivers exceed the time limits they can be on the road. Over-the-road truckers can only drive for 11 hours at a time, or 77 hours in a 7-day week, but many drive longer hours.
All of these variables can be factors in accidents.
