UPDATE (April 18, 2024): Officials identified the seriously injured truck driver as 34-year-old Khamid Eshkobilov from Brooklyn, New York. Khamid Eshkobilov’s current condition is unclear. Additional details about the crash are unavailable at this time.
Wythe County, VA — April 15, 2024, two people were injured as the result of a dual 18-wheeler accident at around 9:50 p.m. on Interstate 81.
Authorities said in preliminary investigations that the crash took place on northbound lanes of I-81 at the I-77 interchange.
It appears that a truck driver was in a tractor-trailer going along the interstate. Up ahead was another tractor-trailer, which authorities say was parked partially in the right lane of travel and on the shoulder. The first 18-wheeler hit the stationary one, seriously injuring the first truck driver. That person hasn’t been identified right now.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
The other truck driver, reportedly with minor injuries, was charged for improper stopping on a highway. Folks may think that wraps all this up, but the story is rarely so black-and-white. It’s important to know why the truck was stopped where it was.
For example, neglected maintenance is a common thread in many truck accidents. Trucks, like any machine, need regular check-ups and fixes to stay roadworthy. Skipping these routine checks or ignoring small issues can snowball into bigger problems. A minor brake issue or an engine warning that are simple when addressed promptly could instead lead to a situation where a driver has no choice but to stop in a less than ideal spot.
Obviously, drivers are responsible for their trucks, but any experienced trucker will attest to some employers out there who simply don’t give a damn about safety. They’d rather their drivers keep working than dedicate the time or effort to maintain their trucks. Instead, they’d prefer to just keep kicking the can down the road until a complete breakdown forces them to act. Inevitably, that leads to people getting hurt.
I can’t say right now what all happened here or who is or isn’t to blame. I’m not here to speculate. I just think back to all the families I’ve helped who never even considered there were more people than a single driver responsible for their hardships. They certainly weren’t any more keen to let a negligent trucking company off the hook anymore than they were to let the reckless drivers off the hook. I’d be surprised if anyone in a crash like this would feel otherwise.
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