69-Year-Old Olney Woman Killed in Illinois Tractor-Trailer Accident
A 69-year-old woman is dead following a catastrophic Illinois semi-truck crash on Tuesday night. Police say that Patsy J. Witte was driving a sport utility vehicle on Illinois 161 Extension about a mile from Illinois 130 when she collided with the tractor-trailer.
According to a preliminary probe, trucker Daniel H. Greifzu was trying to back his semi-truck, which was using both lanes of travel, into a private driveway, when Witte, failing to realize that the tractor-trailer was in the eastbound lane, struck the large truck with her SUV. She was pronounced dead at the truck crash site. Meantime, Greifzu received a citation for improper backing.
In other recent collision news, a pedestrian was killed in a Chicago truck crash last week in the Bridgeport neighborhood. The city-owned truck was backing up when it hit the pedestrian.
Back-Over Accidents
Backover crashes are a common cause of injuries. In some cases, the driver who is backing up does not see the pedestrian, bicyclist or other vehicle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, common back-over injuries include injuries to the legs, arms, face, neck, or head, as well as abrasions, contusions, internal injuries, and fractures.
It is important that anytime a vehicle is backing into or out of a lane, driveway, or parking lot, he or she do so in a manner that doesn’t create a dangerous situation for others on the road. Collisions with any type of large truck increase the chances of serious injuries, so drivers have a duty of care to be extra cautious especially when they know they are engaged in an activity that can increase the risk of a Chicago truck crash.
Olney woman killed in crash, CarmiTimes, February 9, 2011
City truck hits, kills man in Bridgeport, Chicago Tribune, February 2, 2011
Related Web Resources:
FARS, Large Trucks, NHTSA
Q&As: Backover crashes, IIHS
Related Blog Posts:
Illinois Tractor-Trailer Accidents Sends Woman to the Hospital After Her Vehicle Hits a Utility Pole, Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer Blog, January 27, 2011
Recent Chicago Semi-Truck Accidents Claim Two Lives, Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer Blog, January 21, 2011
$3.5 Million Truck Accident Verdict Awarded in Case Against Illinois-Based Company, Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer Blog, December 16, 2010
In DuPage County, Lake County, Cook County, and Will County, Illinois, contact our Chicago truck accident law firm.
