The Wheeling Intelligencer and other news sources have reported seven (7) truck accidents in twelve (12) days, primarily in Marshall and Wetzel counties of the WV northern panhandle.  One was across the Ohio River in Jefferson county, OH.  Six of these trucks are known to have been serving the Marcellus shale gas industry, and possibly all seven.

1. August 19th — A flatbed pickup truck pulling machinery from a gas drilling site fell partially off of Rine’s Ridge near Graysville in Marshall county after a portion of road crumbled away. This truck had pulled over to the shoulder of the road to allow a larger truck to pass. A similar slip roughly 20 yards from Friday’s accident had recently been repaired. The stretch of road has seen heavy truck traffic over the past year, with signs at the bottom of the roadway warning motorists to use caution and beware of large trucks.

2. August 17th — A truck hauling a crane along U.S. 250 near Belton in Marshall county crashed and flipped onto its side, damaging a bridge. Officials could not confirm that vehicle was commuting to or from a gas drilling rig.

3. August 12th — A water truck serving drilling operations rolled over a 70 foot embankment on Huff Ridge Road in Wetzel county. No injuries occurred in this accident.

4. August 12th — A truck crashed on Ohio Route 43 in Jefferson county, OH, carrying chemicals to a drilling site. There were no injuries in this accident.

5. August 11th — A truck hauling drilling wastes rolled about 100 feet down an embankment on Blake Ridge Road in Wetzel county, smashing the truck’s cab.

6. August 10th — A truck serving a Stone Energy drilling site rolled off American Ridge Road outside New Martinsville in Wetzel county.

7. August 8th — A fatal accident occurred on US 250 near South Highland Avenue at Moundsville in Marshall county. The driver was killed. Apparently the brakes were defective on the tanker truck carrying by-products or wastes, possibly without the proper documentation in the truck.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, contact the West Virginia Truck Accident Attorneys of Colombo & Stuhr PLLC at 800-860-1414.

West Virginia drivers would be banned from texting under a bill passed Thursday by the House of Delegates, although some lawmakers say the proposal is so watered down that it's worthless.

The legislation (HB2555) would make texting while driving a traffic offense, rather than a misdemeanor, as originally proposed.

Also, unlike the original legislation, the House-passed version would make texting a secondary offense, rather than a primary offense. That means violators could only be cited if they were pulled over for something else, such as speeding.

Delegate Danny Wells, D-Kanawha, said the bill is now "worthless."

"I'm totally disappointed and discouraged," he said after the vote Thursday. "I think as long as it's not a primary offense, it's just a worthless piece of paper. There's no way anybody's going to be pulled over for texting the way it's written."

"It's hard enough for an officer to see someone texting in the first place."

Wells has pushed for stronger seatbelt and cell phone laws for drivers, and still voted for the bill Thursday.

"This is all about saving lives, and the statistics show you lose lives when you drive and text at the same time," he said

In most states with texting driving bans, violating the law is a primary offense. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 26 of 30 states with anti-texting laws have primary enforcement.

For more information see: http://wvgazette.com/News/politics/201102171656

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in an automobile accident, contact the West Virginia Auto Accident Attorneys of Colombo & Stuhr PLLC at 800-860-1414.

A coal truck driver was killed Saturday in a haulage accident near the upper end of Cabin Creek while working at a Massey Energy surface mine.

The Charleston Gazette reports the unidentified man was killed when his runaway truck overturned at about 5:35 p.m. Saturday. The accident took place on Carbon Road, a fork of Cabin Creek Road, a dispatcher with the Kanawha County 911 center said.

Brake failure and icy road conditions may have contributed to the accident, Amy Louviere, a spokeswoman for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said Sunday. Firefighters extricated the victim from his cab, Louviere said in a news release.

The man worked for Medford Trucking, a contractor for Massey subsidiary Elk Run Coal Co.'s Republic Energy. Two other Medford Trucking drivers witnessed the accident, Massey said.

Medford Trucking lost another driver on a Massey mine haul road nearly two years ago.

In February 2009, William Wade, 70, of Bloomingrose lost control of his truck on a haul road, also at a Republic Energy mine in eastern Kanawha County.

An MSHA spokeswoman said Wade was traveling downhill on a paved road when he drove up a short embankment and flipped over. The man was ejected from the truck and died while he was pinned under the cab, the spokeswoman said.

State regulators with the Office of Miners Health, Safety and Training later cited Medford Energy in connection with the accident. Investigators said a brake hose had been bypassed on Wade's truck, four of the six brake drums were worn out, and company employees apparently used inspection forms that did not cover all required items.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, contact the West Virginia Truck Accident Attorneys of Colombo & Stuhr PLLC at 800-860-1414.

Six years ago, 17 year old Eric Breeden was killed when a tractor trailer ran a red light at an intersection on Route 460. An accident reconstructionist determined the truck was going nearly 80 miles an hour when it entered the intersection.

In an effort to prevent future tragedies like this, Eric's father petitioned the state to drop the speed limit at intersections along Route 460. According to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, the speed limit was lowered to 50 mph at intersections and warning lights have been installed to alert truckers and other drivers that they are approaching a traffic signal.

Accidents like Eric Breeden's and others highlight the dangers of truck accidents, especially when those accidents involve cars and other, smaller vehicles. Due to the disparity in size, victims of truck accidents often experience severe injuries such as spinal or traumatic brain injuries, or even death.

Personal injury and wrongful death cases have strict timelines for filing claims and it is important not to let these pass by. If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, contact the West Virginia Truck Accident Attorneys of Colombo & Stuhr PLLC at 800-860-1414. We represent accident victims in Fairmont, Clarksburg, Morgantown, and throughout North Central West Virginia.

Survive your drive with these tips from Walter Irvine, an instructor at the Skip Barber Racing School, in Lakeville, Connecticut.

What If...?

… a car is heading straight toward you in your lane?
“Try to get their attention [honk, flash your lights], but also look ahead and plan for an evasive reaction. Do not stare at the oncoming vehicle,” because your car follows your line of sight. “Look where you want to go, not where you are heading.”

...a car is tailgating you and honking wildly?
“Pull over and let it by.”

… a car is swerving ahead of you and the driver is clearly impaired?
“Give him room, do not tailgate, and, again, do not fixate on him.”

… a deer darts in front of your car?
“Calmly attempt to avoid it with as little braking and steering as you can.”

… you come to a four-way stop?
“Always try to establish eye contact with drivers waiting to proceed. If you see them looking at you, you know it is safe.”

… you’re blinded by the sun?
“Don’t overreact by slamming on the brakes or swerving. Continue on your path so you are predictable to other vehicles.”

... you get a yellow light as you approach an intersection?
“You should never go through a yellow light if you have the ability to stop safely.”

… you’re about to be rear-ended?
“Take your foot off the brake. If the car behind you hits you, the impact will be lessened if your car can roll forward.”

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in an automobile accident, contact the West Virginia Auto Accident Attorneys of Colombo & Stuhr PLLC at 800-860-1414.

As a West Virginia injury lawyer handling truck accidents, I have found the web site published by the Truck Safety Coalition very helpful. The organization is a partnership between The Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) Foundation, and Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T). The Truck Safety Coalition is dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by truck-related crashes, providing compassionate support to truck crash survivors and families of truck crash victims, and educating the public, policy-makers and media about truck safety issues.

Recently, the Truck Safety Coalition issued a report card based on truck accidents that have occurred throughout the U.S., ranking the worst truck accident states. The Truck Safety Coalition looked at the number of truck accident deaths that occurred for every 100,000 people. Over 114,000 people were injured in truck accidents in 2005, and 5,200 people were killed in truck accidents, making the average number of truck accidents with fatalities 1.76 deaths for every 100,000 people.

West Virginia ranked as one of the 10 states with the highest average of truck accident deaths per population. Others included Kentucky, Kansas and South Carolina.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, contact the West Virginia Truck Accident Attorneys of Colombo & Stuhr PLLC at 800-860-1414.