BICYCLIST SURVIVES DRUNKEN ROUTE 313 TRUCK ACCIDENT
In what could only be described as something close to a miracle, Pennsylvania State Police say that a bicyclist survived after being struck by a tractor-trailer operated by suspected drunk driver. The accident occurred in East Rock Hill Township, Pennsylvania, along Route 313. According to records of emergency police broadcasts, a call came in to police from a motorist at about 3:48 a.m. on Aug. 10.
The caller was reporting finding a bicycle wheel on Route 313, which is also known as Dublin Pike, near North Fifth Street. Subsequent radio dispatches described how the bicyclist ended up off of the road after presumably being thrown over a guardrail.
State police based at Dublin, Pennsylvania, responded to the scene of the truck accident and soon located a tractor-trailer situated roughly a mile away. Upon discovery of the big-rig, police found its driver whom they suspected was under the influence of alcohol. They arrested that defendant under charges of drinking and driving, although additional charges may be added pending the results of a toxicology test.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of either party involved in the crash. However, it was revealed that first responders took the bicyclist to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania via ambulance. The victim’s medical status is described as critical.
Commercial tractor-trailers are already dangerous enough due to their enormous weight and massive size. When operated by a fatigued, impaired or inexperience driver, a tractor-trailer can become exponentially more dangerous towards anyone sharing the road with them. Even incidental contact from these behemoths can result in catastrophic injuries and permanent disability.
Pennsylvania motorists who have been injured as the result of a preventable truck accident may be eligible for compensation for their medical costs and other related expenses
Source: The Morning Call, “Bicyclist seriously injured in collision with truck on Route 313” Tracy Jordan, Aug. 11, 2014