Overloaded 18-wheeler crashes into overpass in Shreveport, LA

On July 14, 2008 an 18-wheeler transporting a large section of windmill tower crashed into an overpass on I-49 in Shreveport, LA. The accident occurred due to the fact that the vehicle's load was too tall. The driver made his way down Bert Kouns Industrial Loop when his cargo struck the underside of the bridge. The driver was ticketed by police. No one was injured in the accident and engineers believe that the bridge is still structurally sound.

A note from Texas 18-wheeler accident attorney E. Michael Grossman:

While this accident may not seem like a major concern I can assure you that this accident had all of the earmarks of some of the more horrific accidents I have seen in my 20 years of working with 18-wheeler accident cases.

Fortunately this event did not end in tragedy but several months ago this exact scenario played out with fatal results. A young woman in Houston was crushed to death when an 18-wheeler with too tall of a load clipped an overpass and causing it's cargo to fall onto her full size SUV killing her instantly.

Many companies will employ the use of a "pole car" to avoid this type of accident. The pole car is effectively a car or truck with a pole that is set to the same height as the top of the cargo on the bed of the 18-wheeler. The pole car will travel a few hundred yards ahead of the 18-wheeler and if the pole on said pole car should collide with any overpasses or power lines the driver will be forewarned that the cargo will not clear and he will have a reasonable amount of time to stop. It seems evident that no such device was employed in this situation.

Posted by: Texas 18-wheeler accident lawyer E. Michael Grossman | Posted on: 7/16/2008 | Comments (0)

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Overloaded 18-wheeler crashes into overpass in Shreveport, LA

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