Below is the preliminary report in a wrongful death accident where a rock fell off of a dump truck and went through the windshield of a car, the driver of which died at the scene. It is a tragic case, and one very similar to a case attorney Fred Pritzker handled a few years ago. In that case, a wheel came off and immediately killed the driver of another vehicle when it crashed through the windshield.
On October 17, 2016, a 48-year-old man was hit by an 11-pound rock that had fallen from a dump truck and flown through his windshield. The rock knocked him unconscious, and his car veered off the road and crashed into a pole, breaking it in two. He tragically died from his injuries on Saturday, October 29.
His family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs.
The man was driving in Walker on the 2200 block of Turner NW when a rock fell from a dump trailer hauled by a white semi-tractor. Our understanding is that the dump truck and driver have not been identified.
This Wrongful Death Was Easily Preventable
This tragic, wrongful death was preventable. A number of parties may be responsible:
- the driver of the truck should have made sure the load was secure before he or she got on the road;
- the company that loaded the truck should have made sure the load was secure and not overloaded;
- the owner(s) of the truck and trailer should have had policies in place to make sure this could not happen;
- the owner of the load of rocks should have made it clear that the dump trailer should not have been overloaded and that the load had to be secure.
If anyone has any information that may be helpful to this investigation, call the Walker, MI police department.
We have seen first-hand the devastation suffered when an unsecured load causes serious injuries or wrongful death. Read about “Secure Your Load Day” and take every measure to prevent these kinds of accidents.
