The truck speed limit on the I-10 through the Coachella Valley is 55 mph. Most truckers drive through the valley at faster speeds. It would be easy to blame all of the big rig crashes and tractor-trailer rollovers in the Coachella Valley on speed, but there are too many other factors, including the negligence of others. With trucks that can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, the passengers in cars and pickups they hit have a lesser chance to survive.
Trucks Passing Through the Coachella Valley
More than a million big rigs pass through the Coachella Valley on the Interstate I-10 freeway each year. In California, interstate drivers are allowed by law to log up to twelve hours per day behind the wheel of these humongous trucks, and most are reluctant not to drive as much as they can. The more they drive, the more money they make.
Most truckers are well-trained and are expert at avoiding collisions with merging traffic. They are experienced professionals, just trying to make a living just like everyone else. Truck drivers don’t want to be cited any more than other vehicle drivers. Indeed, fines for truckers can be extremely lar
ge.
Despite this, it’s common to see trucks speeding from time to time. And anyone who lives in the Coachella Valley has had the experience of sitting in traffic on the I-10 for long periods of time due to a tractor-trailer crash or a big rig rollover.
The factors which we as truck accident lawyers commonly see in crashes involving big rig crashes and tractor trailer rollovers commonly include speed, driver fatigue from driving too many hours without a break or too many hours in one day, lack of familiarity with the highway, bad weather including wind or rain, wet roads, drugs or alcohol, falling asleep at the wheel, expired medical certificates, poor maintenance, fires on board and safety violations.
A sampling of the most recent big rig rollovers and tractor-trailer crashes provides some insight into the various causes of these truck accidents, fires and hazardous material spills on the I-10 in the Coachella Valley.
The CHP is looking for the driver of a white Freightliner towing a 53-foot utility trailer after the crash injured drivers of other vehicles, smashed cars and shut down all eastbound lanes the night before on the I-10.
This accident was unusual, not for the fact it involved a Freightliner, but because it was a hit and run. Among the vehicles that the Freightliner ran off the freeway was a semi truck which then hit another vehicle. What was not unusual about the accident was the fact that cars and other big rigs were backed up for hours. To add insult to injury, an abandoned building caught fire some miles east which closed the eastbound lanes for an hour there as well.
A Sampling of Other Big-Rig Crashes, Fires, Spills and Rollovers
December 22, 2014 - The hit and run driver of a Freightliner with a utility trailer weaves back and forth on the I-10 in Palm Desert, finally forcing a semi truck off the road which hits another vehicle before overturning and hitting the guardrail in the center median.
December 14, 2014 - A vehicle collides with a big-rig and bursts into flame on the I-10 in Palm Desert. One person is killed.
November 2, 2014 - A tractor-trailer catches fire on the I-10 in Palm Desert.
November 23, 2014 - A big rig overturns on the I-10 near Mecca, spilling fuel and trapping the driver who is cut free.
October 14, 2014 - A big rig hits a burlap sack containing hay and catches fire on the I-10 in Palm Desert. A separate two-vehicle collision occurs, possibly related to the big rig situation.
October 17, 2014 - A car strikes the back of a Freightliner tractor hauling a utility trailer on the I-10 in Palm Springs.
October 5, 2014 - A fire breaks out in the cab of a tractor-trailer on the I-10 in Cathedral City. The driver pulls over, separates the freezer trailer carrying refrigerated chicken, but the truck leaks 30 gallons of diesel fuel.
September 23, 2014 - A freight truck crashes on the I-10 between Palm Springs and Cabazon, drifts off the right shoulder, then hits a guard rail, flips over and ignites a fire that results in a hazardous materials spill and causes a day-long shutdown of the freeway. According to the CHP, the driver became distracted while reaching for papers on the floor of his truck’s cab. The truck was hauling household supplies including 675 pounds of a pesticide that contained thiophanate-methyl which exploded into flames.
August 26, 2014 - The nineteen year old brother of Paris Hilton strikes the rear of a car changing lanes in front of him and then collides with the back of a big rig on the I-10 in Palm Springs. Drivers allegedly reported seeing Conrad Hilton some time earlier speeding in excess of 100 mph.
August 20, 2014 - The driver of a big rig loses control of his truck, goes over a metal guard rail and overturns blocking three lanes of the I-10 in Cabazon after the freeway remained wet from thunderstorms.
May 21, 2014 - A tractor-trailer spills a load of steel pipes onto the I-10 west of Blythe, which causes a bus to overturn resulting in the death of four people and seven others to be seriously injured. According to published reports, there were allegedly multiple violations related to the big rig’s driver. The bus was one of 55 buses from a bus company whose vehicles allegedly had been involved in five crashes, including one fatal, in the previous two years.
How To Avoid Accidents With Big Rigs and Tractor-Trailers
Give big rigs and tractor-trailers the space to slow or to change lanes if they have to quickly avoid merging traffic or vehicles coming up fast from behind. Whenever possible therefore, don’t drive along side big rigs in the slow lane that might have to suddenly merge into your lane. At the first sign of smoke or fire from a tractor-trailer, fluids leaking from an 18 wheeler or items falling off a semi, slow down. If you’re driving in windy conditions or on wet roads, also slow down and give truckers more space.
At all cost, if you’re driving an 18 wheeler or tractor-trailer yourself, one thing you might want to do is to take pains to avoid teenage celebrities in fast cars.
If you need a personal injury lawyer for a car accident on the I-10, or an injury you received in a motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian accident in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, any other city within the Coachella Valley, Orange County, or anywhere on the coast of California, inland, or in the desert, call Attorney Sebastian Gibson at (760) 776-1810 or toll free at (855) WHAT NOW. Put the experience of our law firm on your side and protect your rights.
