Missouri Truck Accident Lawyers Say Thank You Sargent Perkins!
The Missouri Truck Accident Lawyers congratulate Mountain Grove, MO resident Sgt. Jacob Perkins for his heroic rescue efforts after a tour bus tractor-trailer accident in New York this weekend.
The traffic accident occurred near Syracuse, New York. A tour bus from London, Ontario, Canada had stopped on the side of New York State Thruway for an emissions light 
problem. When the bus pulled back onto the road it was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. Both vehicles immediately burst into flames. By morning, there was nothing left of the truck but its rear loading doors, and the tour bus was an empty shell.
Army Sargent Jacob Perkins, stationed at Fort Drum, was headed home to Mountain Grove, Missouri located in Texas and Wright Counties, for a two week leave when he witnessed the bus truck accident. Perkins, 28, entered the fiery bus several times to look for victims and then help them from the bus. He then drove two survivors to a hospital in Rochester looking for their severely injured family member. And then drove them 90 minutes back to Syracuse to locate the injured family member and then stayed with them until additional family arrived. Read the full story.
Tour Bus vs Tractor-Trailer Accident
This tour bus tractor-trailer truck accident left 30 people injured, three critically, and the truck driver pronounced dead at the scene. The accident occurred around 1:20 am Friday July 22. The tour bus was carrying 52 passengers for a three day tour in New York. The truck was carrying 14,000 lbs. of automotive ball bearings for Matrix Expedited Service.
Missouri Truck Accident Lawyers Share Questions Investigators May Ask For This Tour Bus Truck Accident:
- What were the mechanical problems on the tour bus: the emissions light?
- What options did the tour bus driver have to resolve the situation?
- Did the tour bus driver attain full speed before re-entering the highway?
- Did the tour bus enter the highway or was it still in the break-down lane?
- Was the tractor-trailer traveling the posted speed limit?
- Did the truck driver have enough time to react and take evasive driving maneuvers?
- How many hours had each driver been driving to that point?
- What are the training procedures for each company?
- Could the tour bus tractor-trailer accident have been avoided?
The investigation of this tour bus tractor-trailer accident is underway. The investigators may look at many factors to determine the exact cause of the tractor-trailer truck accident as well as any factors that contributed to its severity. Matrix Expedited Service reports the driver had an excellent safety record. Driving records and safety history from both the truck driver and the tour bus driver are part of an accident investigation.
Also taken into account will be the reconstruction of the accident itself. Investigators will use eye-witness accounts, the presence of skid marks, the length of skid marks, and the pattern of debris to determine the speeds of both the tour bus and the tractor-trailer at the time of the collision.
A truck accident reconstruction involves looking at the evidence to establish who did what, how fast the vehicles were traveling before and at impact, and why the truck accident occurred. With the why piece of the equation answered the next piece is to determine if the accident could have been avoided. This piece also determines if the severity of the accident could have been reduced by reasonable actions prior to and during the accident. This also involves the physical condition of both drivers as well as the mechanical condition of the tour bus and the tractor-trailer. Once fault is established, the claims procedure will begin.
This tour bus tractor-trailer accident is just one more of many across the United States and in Missouri. If you have been involved in a Missouri truck accident or a Missouri bus accident, contact Missouri Truck Accident Lawyers for help. Many attorneys offer a free consultation and can help you sort out the facts and make sure your interests and rights are protected.
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