San Bernardino, CA — May 8, 2024, one person was killed and one was injured due to a semi-truck accident at around 1:45 p.m. along 215 Freeway.
Authorities with the California Highway Patrol reported that the accident happened in the area of the 215 Freeway and the 210 Freeway interchange.
According to current information, a Nissan Versa was going southbound along the freeway at the time. That vehicle may made a “sudden stop,” following which it appears a Freightliner semi-truck crashed into the back of the Nissan. As a result, a woman in the Nissan sustained fatal injuries. Another woman in the car was taken to a hospital with apparently serious injuries.
Right now, no more details are available.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Something that I hope authorities are working on is determining just how “sudden” this stop really was. Generally speaking, there is an expectation for drivers—let alone professional truck drivers—to avoid accidents if reasonably avoidable. It’s certainly possible for someone to stop so suddenly that even an attentive driver may not be able to avoid a collision. But is it likely? In my experience, not at all.
Let me give an example of how investigations into these kinds of crashes often go. I had this case a while back where a truck driver claimed our client slammed on their brakes without signaling, so he had no way of avoiding rear-ending them. Well, we found security camera footage that showed that was just an outright lie. The video clearly showed the victim come to a controlled stop well ahead of the truck for several seconds, signal on. The truck driver simply never slowed down because he was distracted.
There’s a reason people believe the old misconception that rear drivers are automatically at fault for a rear-end collision. That’s not true, but the vast majority of rear-end collisions are indeed caused by distraction, speeding, or following too closely. Even if someone does it hit their brakes suddenly, that’s a predictable hazard that any reasonably prudent driver should be able to avoid. Maybe this crash will prove to be an exception, but I’d have to see some convincing evidence to believe that.
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