Bloomington, Illinois Truck Accident: 10-Year-old Illinois Bicyclist Dies After Being Struck by Semi-Truck
A tragic, Bloomington, Illinois truck accident has left a 10-year-old bicyclist dead. Travell Arrington died of serious head injuries after he was struck on Tuesday by a semi-trailer truck.
The tragic McLean County truck accident happened as the truck was turning into a truck stop. According to one witness, Arrington and another bicyclist were trying to beat the semi. Following the tragic accident, the trucker stepped on the brakes, jumped out of the large truck, and collapsed.
Preliminary autopsy results show that boy died from severe head injuries from being crushed by a tire. Bloomington police say the semi-truck struck the boy head-on. The truck driver, Elmwood Park resident Sergey Ivasyuk, says he never saw the boys.
Accident reconstructionists and police are working together to determine the cause of the Illinois truck accident.
While there were less truck-related deaths in 2008 (4,229 large truck fatalities) compared to 2007 (4,822 truck deaths), too many people continue to die in accidents involving large trucks. While some of these truck accidents are not the fault of the truck driver or the trucking company, there is still more that the trucking industry and its employees can do to prevent truck accidents from happening and causing injury or death.
Steps truck drivers can take to prevent truck accidents:
• Don’t drive when you are tired
• Make sure that you are in good shape
• Make sure that you don’t suffer from sleep apnea
• Check your blind spots
• Stay a safe distance behind other vehicles
• Properly maintain your truck
• Reduce your speed when driving in work zones
• Inspect your large truck before every trip
• Make sure your cargo is properly secured
• Practice defensive driving
• Get plenty of rest before you drive
Coroner: Boy died from severe head injuries, Pantagraph.com, July 8, 2009
Truck-Involved Traffic Fatalities Declined 12 Percent in 2008, PR Newswire, July 6, 2009
Related Web Resources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Truck Safety, Public Citizen
Contact our Chicago truck crash law firm for your free case evaluation.
