Tractor-Trailer Driver Charged in Crash That Killed Mom, 2 Sons

exact same thing that happened in my home city couple months back. only it was 2 blocks from the intersection.

5 years ago i had a trucker from idaho whip a u turn right on front of me. on a highway at the city outskirts. while i was on my way to work on my motorcycle. i dropped the bike and let his trailer run it over. this guy had no idea what he just did till he got straightened out and seen me standing in the road with the bike laying on the road.

no one seems to pay attention to that all too delicate rule. "always be aware of your surroundings."

 

Driver should be charged IMO..... he's blocking the opposite lane of traffic....you can't do that no matter what the sign says / law is. Thru traffic always has the right of way unless controlled by a signal.

I can't count the number of bone heads I've seen backing :

up on the interstate shoulder
up the exit ramp

or flipping through the median like they are chasing a bad guy on the other side...... but my favorite was the fool that stopped short in the EZ tag lane cause he didn't want to get a ticket for running the plaza.......

Check it out......toll plaza has 2 thru lanes all the way left for EZ Tags and 4 right for change and service. Speed limit thru the gates is 60 and we click about 65. You're not supposed to change lanes once you enter the pay zone but I had a fool backing out of the plaza in my lane....could have been bad!! There is never a deputy when you need him.....

But back to this...... truck is wrong cause of what Vavega said or because he's trying to flip across opposing traffic. You can never legally impair traffic flow in an uncontrolled situation. ( no lights, cops etc ) no matter if the turn is legal or not.

Oh ya, here is a perfect example of the question " will the law look thru my telephone and records?" Yes they will and can ( everybody involved ) to get the answer they need. BAC will be checked too and drivers log will be scrutinized for the last 30 days.

Carriers records / DVR's will be pulled too. Shame on the carrier if he can't produce the required docs like 90 days of DVR's on that unit , complete qual files on driver etc.

JMO

 

Not much you can say about this besides the obvious. There is a jug handle u-turn a block south of the intersection but it's hard to tell if it's truck friendly. Some newer drivers may not have operated in the Jersey area long enough to have picked up on the "Jug-handles" concept but it does not appear the truck driver was out of potential turn-around options heading south.

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=40.265078,-74.718141&spn=0.00291,0.006319&t=h&z=18

 

And I will have to respectfully disagree with anyone that tries to assign much if any blame to the tahoe driver as "being inattentive". What the truck driver did (making a u turn where he did, how he did, and when he did, is no different then simply pulling out in front of somebody, say from a stop sign into a street or highway, in front of an oncoming vehicle.

 

Sad for all. No one had to die. I really hope he does not try to fight this, just take sentencing.

 

Whole situation sux--and not going to comment on why/how it happened--just that IF you aren't familiar with how Jersey does stuff--take your time and pay attention--there are parts of SE Jersey(Florence?Burlington areas esp)like Gigs said that can really be a pain--seems like forever b4 you find a jughandle you can use--Ive seen drivers get impatient all 2 often and try to u on 130-(just 4 example)-thru no u turn intersections--So if I can offer any advice--just keep going in the direction YOU are going--BECAUSE there will be a jughandle you CAN use shortly--just one of those Jersey things...
Oh and Gigs(since I know where you mean--LOL)it is a little better now--as long as your coming off the pike extension--since in jerseys DOT infinate wisdom--they think trucks only use the pike LOL--so they have set the exit up w/the jug just past ramp end--and then you do a double loop-get dizzy and go straight into fresh Pak(or whatever they are calling today--from down below--just beffore the curve at creamoland--LOL

 

I'm with you Wolfy,even if they ARE legal,this will make me stop and think...just awful awful awful!

 

There are redlights there on the intersection it looks like

 

Ready Pac...LOL