5 Dead in Fiery Semi-Truck Crash on I-70 Near Kansas City
Earlier this week, a semi-truck cresting a hill caused a fiery chain-reaction pile-up on I-70 that left five people dead. According the Kansas Turnpike Authority crash report, the chain-reaction started when a semi-truck crested a slight hill and failed to slow for traffic that was stalled due to road construction.
The semi-truck rear-ended an SUV and two other vehicles before crashing into a stopped tractor-trailer. One of the vehicles rammed by the semi-truck was pushed under the stopped tractor-trail; that vehicle and both rigs eventually caught fire. Both semi-truck drivers survived, but all five occupants of the three vehicles were killed. The crash and resulting fire left a horrific scene of mangled and charred wreckage so severe, one of the crash victims wasn’t discovered until the wreck was being cleared from the highway.
The accident is still under investigation.
Large Truck Accidents by the Numbers
Semi-trucks, big rigs, 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers – whatever the name, these large trucks pose an increased danger to other motorists. In 2014 the National Highway Transportation Safety (NHTSA) recorded 438,000 semi-truck accidents in the U.S. What’s even more alarming are the statistics of these crashes:
- 3,903 people killed
- 111,000 people injured
- 73% were occupants of other vehicles
- 17% were occupants of large trucks
- 10% were non-occupants (pedestrians, cyclists, etc.)
Large truck crashes are complex and often involve multiple liable parties and multiple insurance companies. If you or a loved one have been injured or killed in a semi-truck accident, your best course of action is to contact a personal injury lawyer with experience handling these types of claims.
Casey & Devoti is a St. Louis-based personal injury law firm. Together, Partners Matt Casey and Matt Devoti have nearly 40 years of trial experience. They handle a variety of personal injury matters, including: car, truck and train accidents, victims of impaired and distracted drivers, medical malpractice and birth injuries, product liability, slips/trips/falls, elder care and sexual abuse, Workers’ Compensation, and wrongful death. If you or a loved one have been injured by the negligence of another, contact our office for a free, no-obligation consultation: (314) 421-0763.
