What Caused This Fatal Truck Accident?

Truck accidents are very common vehicle accidents, and they happen most often on busy freeways. Not all of them are fatal, but many have killed and injured multiple people. A crash in California in late 2016 left 13 people dead after a truck collided with a tour bus filled with passengers. A judge has now ruled that the truck driver will face multiple felony and misdemeanor counts. This firm-overview/news story is a classic example of why truck drivers should take extra precaution while driving, and how truck driver error can cause dangerous consequences.

What Happened?

Bruce Guilford, a truck driver from Covington, Georgia, was sleep deprived one early October morning on the freeway, and apparently fell asleep for a few minutes during traffic on the freeway. An Alhambra-based tour bus allegedly slammed into the rear end of Guilford’s truck, killing the driver of the truck and 12 other passengers.

Many questions come into play with this accident, specifically the question of who was actually at fault, or negligent, and if this neglect of “public safety” caused the accident. A CHP officer testified that he checked Guilford’s driving logs and GPS tracking, which showed that the truck driver violated his driving regulations of only driving a certain number of hours per day, which resulted in him falling asleep at the wheel. Guilford denied that he fell asleep and stated that he had his parking brake on and was fiddling with the radio, and hence, didn’t notice that traffic had started to move again. Guilford’s attorney claims there’s no evidence of Guilford falling asleep, and that this accident was “an unfortunate, careless mistake.” Despite all of this contradicting evidence and testimony, Guilford awaits trial with more than 40 felony and misdemeanor charges, including vehicular manslaughter.

Truck accidents can happen anywhere in the United States, and large states like Texas often experience deadly truck accidents. In 2015, the state saw an estimated 35,000 accidents involving at least one commercial vehicle, and this amount has increased every year in Texas since 2010.

Truck drivers, if proven negligent, should be held accountable for their actions, especially if they injured or killed others in a serious accident. If you have been injured in a truck accident where you believe the truck driver was at error, contact the attorneys at Stevenson & Murray.