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Pedestrian Killed in Long Beach Truck Accident

A FedEx truck went out of control on a busy Long Beach street on Monday morning, striking and killing one pedestrian and injuring at least one woman.

According to the Long Beach Police Department, the FedEx truck was likely traveling at high speeds when it struck and killed the man. The victim has not yet been identified. After hitting the pedestrian, the truck then crashed into a Toyota Solara convertible. The occupant of the convertible, Bonny Goetz sustained minor injuries in the crash.  Goetz was sitting in her car outside a deli, when the truck struck her vehicle. Her car was dragged about 30 yards, and was pushed into two other vehicles that were parked in front.

There is no information about whether the FedEx driver suffered any injuries in the accident. Long Beach police are investigating the accident.  No charges have been filed against the driver, and police don’t believe that drugs or alcohol were a factor. According to witnesses at the scene, the pedestrian who had been struck had just finished shopping, and was probably getting into his car when the truck hit him. FedEx has confirmed that they will cooperate with investigations, and depending on the result of the investigation, the driver might be suspended.

It is still not clear if the FedEx driver was driving at excessive speeds. A truck driver can be said to be driving at excessive speeds, not just when they are traveling at above the posted speed limits which tend to be lower than for a smaller automobile, but also when they are traveling at speeds that are too high for the existing weather and traffic conditions. When the highway is congested or when there is a construction zone, drivers are required to slow down speeds to avoid an accident.

However, truckers can be under a great deal of pressure to deliver loads quicker, and make more deliveries. This can cause them to disregard speed limits and safe driving practices with sometimes disastrous results. In 2007, a California family lost their three children when a truck driver failed to slow down his truck in time to avoid their van which was stopped in backed up traffic.

Every year, several accidents can be traced to the failure of trucks to drive at speed limits that are safe for road and traffic conditions. A busy street would require truck drivers to be much more careful. Failure to do so can result in serious automobile accidents. A tractor trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and when that kind of massive force rams into a pedestrian or vehicle, there is very little hope that the occupants of the vehicle or the pedestrian will escape alive, or without serious injuries.

Victims who have been injured in a truck accident may be able to name the driver as well as the trucking company in a compensation claim. A trucking company may be liable by its failure to provide a properly functioning, well-maintained truck, failure to hire skilled and experienced drivers etc.  An experienced California truck accident attorney can identify the parties responsible for the accident, and name these in a claim.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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