A negligent truck driver with a history of speeding violations was operating a large semi-truck when it collided with an Amtrak train in northern Nevada last year, leaving six people dead. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded on Tuesday that faulty brakes were the cause of the truck accident.
However, the Safety Board also voted 5-0 that the train’s passenger car walls were too weak, which likely contributed to the six deaths and over a dozen injuries that occurred when the tractor-trailer skidded into the Amtrak train at a rural crossing. The board recommended that new strength standards should be developed.
According to NTSB investigators, the trucker didn’t notice the train because he was driving while fatigued, suffering from ankle pain, or possibly checking text messages on his cellphone. However, the panel concluded that there was not enough evidence to include a formal probable cause finding during the hearing. Monitoring equipment at the crossing indicated that the gate and warning lights were functioning properly, so they cannot be blamed for contributing to the crash.
If you have been seriously injured, or if your loved one has been killed in a truck accident or train accident in Nevada, please contact Lloyd Baker Injury Attorneys today to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced Nevada accident attorney.
