St. Cloud, FL — November 21, 2023, a driver was killed as the result of an 18-wheeler accident early Tuesday along U.S. Highway 192.
Authorities with the Florida Highway Patrol say the crash occurred at approximately 4:45 a.m. along westbound lanes of E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway at the intersection of Bradley Drive.
According to officials, the victim was a driver in a Honda Accord which was going westbound on U.S. 192 approaching Bradley. Up ahead, it appears a semi-truck with a Publix trailer had attempted a u-turn at the left turn lane from eastbound U.S. 192 to Bradley. The truck ended up partially off the side of the road, and reports say the tractor-trailer was blocking all westbound lanes. There, the victim’s Honda crashed beneath the box trailer, killing them. The victim’s identity is not currently available to the public.
Currently, it’s not clear if authorities are planning to file any charges or citations.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
To be clear up front, I don’t know anything more about this crash than what’s currently reported publicly. But based on the few details I’m seeing, I’d be surprised if authorities weren’t considering any potential charges. There could be extenuating circumstances not yet reported in the news, but I’m wondering why this truck driver attempted a U-turn here of all places and whether or not any responsible truck driver would have made the same decision.
Generally speaking, all of the responsible truck drivers and trucking companies I’ve known over the years outright avoid u-turns if at all possible. They recognize that blocking lanes of travel can be inherently dangerous regardless of whether or not it’s technically legal. It may take more time to go further down the road—potentially for miles—to find somewhere safe to turn around, but when the alternative is potentially creating a deadly hazard for other drivers, reasonably prudent professionals see that the pros well outweigh the cons.
With that in mind, I consider what I’m seeing in the news about this truck’s reported actions. Based on footage of the scene and statements from authorities, an 18-wheeler attempted a u-turn on a narrow, two-lane portion of roadway, had to go off-road to do so, and didn’t even complete the turn before someone crashed into them—all while it was still dark out.
Again, there could be information I don’t have that could provide a reasonable explanation for these actions or would change what I feel is the most likely explanation to what caused this fatal crash. Regardless, an important question remains: Would this fatal crash have happened if a reasonably prudent truck driver was behind the wheel?
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