Man Struck and Killed by TDOT Salt Truck
A 42-year-old man was struck and killed by a Tennessee Department of Transportation salt truck recently in Lawrence County. The accident happened just after midnight on State Route 227 near McKinney Road in Iron City. According to the police report, the victim, Jason Carter, was kneeling by the roadway when he was hit by the TDOT salt truck.
At the time of the accident, the truck driver believed that he had hit a piece of debris. The TDOT driver continued for a short distance until his partner, who was following in a second TDOT truck behind him, notified the driver of what had occurred. The salt truck driver then immediately turned around and returned to the scene of the accident.
The driver of the second truck stopped immediately to check on Mr. Carter’s well being. A member of the Tennessee Highway Patrol went on record saying that “He was doing his job. The driver thought it was debris,” Miller said, adding, “The sad fact of the matter is we have a person who lost their life.” A spokesperson from TDOT has said that the driver is incredibly distraught over the accident.
According to Mr. Carter’s sister, Jason Carter often walked along State Route 227 to get into town. He lived approximately one hundred yards away from where he was hit, and it is unknown why he was kneeling near the roadway at the time of the accident. The driver of the salt truck has worked for TDOT for nearly fifteen years and was at the end of a sixteen-hour shift when the accident occurred. It remains under investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and so far no charges have been filed.
Tennessee Pedestrian Accidents
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, there has been a total of seventeen fatal pedestrian accidents this year across the state. Between 2010 and 2014, there were 89, 83, 68, 87, and 88 pedestrian deaths recorded in Tennessee, respectively. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has done multiple studies on the causes of pedestrian accidents and found that the vast majority of these accidents, nearly eighty percent, happen at night.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
In Tennessee, there are three main causes of pedestrian accidents caused by drivers. In many accidents, the drivers are careless. They fail to observe traffic signals, speed limits, or yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing the street. Another major cause of pedestrian accidents is drunk driving. Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs have a greatly reduced reaction time and are often swerving their vehicle in the roadway. A final cause is distracted driving which includes texting while driving, eating, changing the radio station, chatting with friends, or programming a GPS while driving.
Call a Tennessee Pedestrian Lawyer
If you or someone that you know has been injured in a pedestrian accident in the Nashville area, let the experienced lawyers at Calhoun Law, PLC help. Call or contact the office today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.
