A crash involving a garbage truck and a car on Watkins Road in Millport led to road closures and injuries Saturday afternoon. While details about the injuries remain limited, first responders, including hazmat crews, worked to clear the scene, and both lanes of Route 14 were shut down for several hours.
Whenever commercial vehicles like garbage trucks are involved in crashes, questions about their operation, maintenance, and safety equipment become critical to understanding what happened.
Was the Garbage Truck Operated Safely?
One question I have is whether the garbage truck driver was operating the vehicle safely at the time of the crash. Given their size and weight, garbage trucks require extra caution to navigate roadways, especially when making turns, stopping, or traveling on busy streets.
Investigators should consider factors such as the truck’s speed, braking distance, and whether the driver was paying attention to traffic conditions, especially on such a busy road.
Was the Garbage Truck Properly Maintained?
Mechanical issues in large commercial vehicles like garbage trucks can contribute to crashes if they aren’t properly maintained. Investigators should examine the truck’s maintenance records and inspect key systems, such as the brakes, tires, and steering.
For garbage trucks specifically, additional equipment like hydraulic systems and rear warning lights are critical for safety. A malfunction in any of these areas could increase the risk of an accident.
What Evidence Should Be Collected?
To piece together the events leading to the crash, investigators should gather data from the garbage truck’s Engine Control Module (ECM) to analyze its speed, braking, and throttle inputs before the collision.
Additionally, physical evidence from the crash site—such as skid marks, the positions of the vehicles, and damage patterns—can help reconstruct how the collision occurred. Witness statements and traffic camera footage could also shed light on the moments leading up to the crash.
Why Asking These Questions Is Important
This crash caused injuries, so it’s important to uncover all the contributing factors. In my experience as an attorney, thorough investigations into commercial vehicle accidents often reveal details that aren’t immediately apparent. Asking the right questions and examining the evidence closely are crucial steps in understanding incidents like this.