A 57-year-old North Easton, Massachusetts man was killed in a truck and motorcycle accident Saturday morning in West Bridgewater. Authorities say that a 27-year-old man from East Bridgewater was driving a truck from one lot to another across West Street when the truck slammed into a motorcycle.
Emergency crews were called to the scene around 10:20 Saturday morning to find the motorcyclist pinned underneath the truck. The 57-year-old victim did not survive the motorcycle accident and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The truck driver apparently was in a company truck. Police say that the man works as a welder for an East Bridgewater-based company and was driving across the street in a company truck. The man is not allowed to drive any vehicle that does not include an ignition interlock device, according to police. The truck involved in the fatal accident reportedly does not have such a device installed.
Authorities say that the welder involved in the fatal accident has a history of driver’s license suspensions and DUI offenses on his record, leading to the requirement that he only drive vehicles with an ignition interlock device installed. The man is charged with a variety of crimes, including failure to yield, unlawfully driving without an interlock device and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
There does not appear to be anything to suggest in media reports that the man driving the fuel truck was under the influence at the time of the crash. But, police certainly believe that the man was not lawfully behind the wheel and failed to yield for the oncoming motorcyclist on the roadway.
Any truck accident can expose victims to the serious risk of harm. But when a truck, with its size and mass of metal, strikes a motorcyclist, the results can be devastating—even in a relatively low speed crash. Victims and the families of victims of such wrecks can be devastated.
Answers may be difficult to come by—even as authorities investigate a wreck. Personal injury lawyers know that a government investigation may not completely bring answers—especially when a commercial vehicle is involved. The probe may not delve into why a worker was allowed to be behind the wheel in the first place.
