Earlier this month we discussed a truck accident involving four tractor trailers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Friday, the turnpike saw another mess involving multiple vehicles—authorities say that 75-to-100 vehicles may have been involved in a massive pile-up on the turnpike on Friday. Essentially, the problems involved a series of separate traffic accidents that came in waves. Emergency personnel say that in all, 30 people suffered personal injuries.
Law enforcement is still looking at evidence, hoping to get a better picture about what caused the first wreck that led to the chain of crashes that closed down the turnpike. While authorities believe that the events may be weather related--at least at the inception-- more details may need to be uncovered. Many drivers found themselves in a chaotic scene as cars went spinning out of control. Tractor trailers, at least one box truck and passenger vehicles were caught up in the string of crashes.
The chain of events is believed to have started around 8:30 in the morning as 25 vehicles piled up near the Bensalem, Pennsylvania, exit from the turnpike. While icy roads are suspected as a contributing factor, officials also suspect that many drivers may have been traveling too fast for the road conditions.
Drivers essentially have a duty to drive with due care. Tailgating and speeding may rise to the level of negligence, especially when bad weather makes roads slippery. Parsing through the details in a massive pile-up or string of chain-reaction collisions may be cumbersome in determining fault in such a chaotic set of events. However, accident victims who have suffered at the hands of another’s negligence may have a claim in civil court.