A tanker truck accident involving two other vehicles on Grey Road 8 in the Township of Southgate injured two people and killed a man just before lunch on March 15. According to Grey County Ontario Provincial Police, a vehicle stopped in a southbound lane of Grey Road 8 because of whiteout conditions. The driver got out of his car, and while he was standing at its rear, an International tanker truck heading south ran into the car and driver. After that, another vehicle ran into the tanker truck.
Police say that the first driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The tanker truck driver was unharmed but transported to a hospital for observation. There were two people in the third vehicle who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Mount Forest Hospital. Authorities did not say what they believe to be the cause of the fatal motor vehicle accident and had not filed charges against the any of the drivers involved by the time the report was released.
There are several factors that could have contributed to this truck accident, including driver error, poor road conditions and driver fatigue. The tanker truck driver might have been distracted and did not see the deceased man’s stopped vehicle in time to avoid the accident. The truck might also have been travelling too fast for the snowy road conditions.
When one driver’s actions cause the death of another, the surviving relatives of the deceased may consider filing a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver. The compensation that the survivors could be awarded may reimburse them for the cost of the victim’s funeral. The victim’s spouse, dependents or caregiver might also be eligible for death benefits.
Source: Blackburn News, “Fatal Crash In Grey County“, Steve Sabourin, March 15, 2014
