My first accident.

Start off with no worries, there are decent companies that will take you with 1 preventable.

If what you describe is true stand by it you did the right thing, I do not believe in letting a 4 wheeler run head on in to be, the odds of loss of life is quite high for them.

On run a on board camera, worth its weight.
keep us posted, if Monday turns into your last day, learn and move on with your head high, you very well may have saved someones life.

 

Just goes to prove, if there's an oncoming car in your lane, run right into them! This way, you won't have a preventable accident on your DAC! Well, you might be dead, but at least there won't be a preventable on your death certificate.

 

I'm guessing your safety director and dispatcher have only driven desks.....

 

You should also ask the safety manager to put that in writing so when there is a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of the next car driver that gets killed in a similar accident the truck driver can just claim they're following company policy.

 

You did the only right thing. I can't imagine killing someone with my truck to save my DAC just bc the other person was in the wrong.

That said, your company is in butt saving mode. You have a potential lawsuit, the other driver has s potential lawsuit and your company is trying to limit their exposure.

Unfortunately, you haven't been solo for long, so you may get the axe. If so, just plug on until you find a company willing to take you on.

 

Head-on collisions with a four-wheeler usually result in the four-wheeler driver dying. You made the right choice.

Next company you get hired on with, invest in a dash cam to cover your butt in situations like this. I've had some close calls over the past couple years, and it's why I got one several months ago.

 

A company I worked with a couple of years ago had a driver who was on a 2 lane section of hwy to Marysville, CA.

A woman, who it turns out was distressed and suicidal, crossed over into his lane at 55 mph. He crushed her to death. The scene was so horrific for him, he was never able to return to truck driving.

 

Happened to one of our drivers also. Before the lawsuits started, a suicide note was found in a motel room near the wreck. He thought the trucking company would have deep pockets for his family.

 

So 4 wheeler in your lane coming towards you, head on collision imminent. You slowed quickly, realized the only way to avoid a collision was to hit the ditch and were confident that by swerving you wouldn't suffer the unintended consequence of another collision.

That being the case you did the right thing.

Never leave your lane is a common rule of thumb and there's good reason for it. Often the unintended consequence is innocent people get hurt or you get hurt. So, in a black and white world with simple minded people that's the best answer. In reality there are times where it makes sense to break that rule.

 

What i would do is this, write out a detailed description of what happened, up to and including the fact that your company conciders your actions a preventable. Do NOT dispute their choice. At the bottom, have the name and date for you, your safety management, and preferably the owner as well to sign it. And keep that for future interviews. You can give a copy with a additional note from you that at the time and to this day you feel that a soft ditching vs a head on was and remains the best choice of a bad situation.