Deadly Truck Crash Causes State to Make Road Changes

On May 1 in Falmouth,  Kentucky 16-year-old Daniel Wood was killed when a dump truck crossed the center line striking his school bus.  Daniel Wood was killed instantly and ten other students were injured.  Among those ten students were Daniel’s younger brother an sister. 

No charges were filed against the driver and the investigation has shown the driver was traveling within the 55 mph limit.  This particular stretch of road has steep hills as well as sharp curves.  It has also been the site of approximately 100 accidents since January of 2005.

The family of the victim gathered almost 2,000 names on a petition for safety improvements.  They also commissioned a study of the road which revealed serious safety issues with the road.  The efforts of the Wood family has prompted the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to conduct an audit of the road which found blind spots, visibility issues and sharp turns.

Since then the speed limit has been changed to 45 miles per hour along the 14 mile stretch of the road.  The shoulders of the road have been built up and trees have been trimmed.   There are about 15 new speed limit signs that may go up soon in hopes of reducing accidents in the future.

When driving on roads that are steep with many turns and bad visibility it is a good idea to lower your speed to give yourself more control of your vehicle.  Car accidents can be painful both emotionally and physically.  For more information on Louisville, Kentucky personal injury attorney Mike Schafer go to www.mikeschaferlaw.com.