Failed Road Test Again (2nd Time)

By overcorrecting the steering after avoiding a car that had been in my blind spot while I was trying to switch lanes on a curve. A top heavy loaded trailer doesn't take much momentum in the wrong direction to turn the tractor on its side as you try to get the whole rig going straight again.

It was my fault. But as tragic as it was, it was determined to be an accident. My statement to the police matched the actions of the truck as they reconstructed the chain of events. The car alongside me that I managed to avoid never stopped and may not have even known what happened behind them as it was an area of an interstate that was illuminated, so headlights leaving the road wouldn't have been so obvious in a rearview mirror as they might have been on a dark two lane road. The people who stopped immediately to call 911 couldn't give the police any statements that contradicted mine. No drugs or alcohol involved.

The only thing left after that for the police to state on the official report is that it was an accident.

 

What happend? was the accident your fault ? Were you cut off did you fall asleep? Did you hit something like a bridge guard rail.. because if any of those things happened (other than being cut off) they need to take your cdl NOW. I don't know how you can lay a truck over and not be your fault. What you described is involuntary manslaughter in a lot of states..

 

Man that sucks.. but why did they take your word on the car in your blindspot ? I guess there weren't any witnesses ? What state did this happen in..

 

Nope. I'm sure if I were with one of the big carriers I would have been. I'm glad I didn't go with Werner, but I did my homework on them and knew enough horror stories to stay away.


I am with a small company. My license and endorsements were all valid. All my logs checked out perfect, no HOS violations, etc. Also it was my first and only accident in 25 years of driving any kind of vehicle. I hadn't had a speeding ticket in over 20 years. I was banged up pretty good as far as bumps and bruises go as anything unsecured in the cabin becomes a projectile, who knows what hit me in the head(canned goods probably), but I didn't try to milk a work comp claim(they did pay for all my hospital treatment, EMS charges, etc., as they should have.) So I get another chance.

 

changing lanes while in a curve most certainly is dangerous and from that statement, you have shown you are NOT a professional driver, that being said, you also show no signs of remorse for killing someone. it does not matter whether or not your co-driver (aka-trainer) was a hard @zz on you or not, it doesn't matter what you claim he made you do, we were not there, so we only have your word on the "alleged" treatment you claim to have gotten. what DOES matter is your lack of sorrow for what happened. you show me right now you are not a person i wish to see on the roads. right now i see you as a cold blooded person who thinks nothing of death, no matter the circumstances. a "real" person would have chucked it all away and said, "forget this job", and bail out. what is bothersome to me is that you KNOW the accident was your fault, and you claim the trainer "should have known better, and strapped himself in", and at this point, you still accept NO RESPONSIBILITY for his death, you are "brushing it off"....and apparently you disregard human life to its fullest. a "real" person would have also said, "i still killed someone, i cannot do this anymore"......no matter the treatment you alleged took place.

you sir, are NOT now or ever going to be a PROFESSIONAL driver.

i can't even muster up any good feelings for you, as i find you to be lower than pond scum right now.

but at least, I CAN look in the mirror each morning when i shave, and KNOW i ain't no killer.

 

I'd rather not be too specific on a state to keep this a little anonymous, but I will say it was in a metropolitan area and city police rather than highway patrol had jurisdiction. I am told that makes a difference sometimes as far as the scope of the investigation goes, in that the city guys don't investigate that many big rig accidents.


I edited the post above, and yes there were no eyewitnesses to contradict my statement describing the chain of events, plus my statement matched the physical evidence, in other words what I said happened made sense after they reconstructed the accident with the diagrams. I had a copy of the police report before my company did so I knew that in advance. In addition I met in person with the Sgt. in charge of the investigation after I got out of the hospital and he verbally told me how the P.D. analyzed the whole scene and how they concluded what happened.

 

why, why do you want to keep this anonymous...?? this is telling me that you know you did something wrong and do not want to explain yourself any further. you are hiding something, what, a civil law suit, maybe a re-opening of the investigation...??? too bad only a "city cop" investigated, but for you, it's your "lucky break".....is that it.....?? your "lucky break".....??? from the REAL TRUTH....???

 

In addition to being grammatically challenged, you make no sense.


So anyone who is involved in a fatal accident should hang it up?

What about the soldier who kills the enemy while on the job? Do they say "screw this" and find another career?


Maybe my company has enough other stories from other drivers who trained with the same guy to know what I was subjected to. Ever think of that?

Maybe I could go to FMSCA with what I know and get the company shut down.


Either way, until you have walked in my shoes don't be so quick to tell me how I should feel or what I should do. TY in advance for your apology.

 

No, I don't want some nutjob coming to my apartment, that's all. I have been cleared of any wrongdoing and that's as far as it goes. Of course I have learned from the incident so I don't repeat my mistake. If something similar happens again then I'll doubt my ability to do this job. Until that day I'll move on and get the job done safely.


I may face a civil lawsuit, sure. But that is hardly unique to a truck accident, it happens everyday in all walks of life.

 

stay on subject, grammar doesn't mater, neither does punctuation.

uh...yeah.......killing someone, accident or not is a life changing event, obviously you think its for the better...???

you cannot compare war time or conflict time with your job.

so you think now murder would have been the way to eliminate this person...?? how about firing....??? you ever think about that....???

i think you are denying the obvious, you are cold blooded, and have no remorse for a death.

what do you know...??? the trainer was an arse....???

you will NEVER get any such from me. you have shown you have no sympathy, remorse, or second thoughts about driving after someone dies at your hands, and it doesn't matter the circumstances, you still had someone die while you were "allegedly" at the controls of a big truck. to me, you have shown your life over someone else's just for a job....???

now i wonder your background.........