One Person Killed in Construction Vehicle-Car Accident
A 60-year-old woman was killed and 3 other people were injured including 2 children when a backhoe that was being towed by a construction vehicle rolled onto the victims’ vehicle. The vehicle towing the backhoe was traveling on a southbound road in Southborough, MA when it jackknifed and caused the backhoe to roll off. The backhoe landed on top of the vehicle behind it. The vehicle that was struck rolled into an embankment and the backhoe landed on top of it, trapping the victims inside.
Two children, ages 10 and 13 were injured and taken to a Boston medical facility and the 49-year-old driver was also transported to a medical facility. In a statement from the company that owned the tow truck, the company said the truck was a new model and was still being test driven by employees. There is no report whether or not this had anything to do with the crash.
This incident further demonstrates the danger inherent in construction and towing vehicles. There are a number of reasons why this accident could have occurred. The fact that the backhoe rolled off the towing vehicle could have been attributed to the fact that it was not properly secured to the tow truck. In this case, any slight bump could have caused the backhoe to roll off the truck. If the tow truck itself malfunctioned somehow, the company or the driver could be held responsible for the automobile accident as well as the 60-year-old victim’s death. The weight of the backhoe being towed could also be taken into consideration especially if it was not properly secured to the truck.
The company stated the truck the driver was using was a new model that was still being test driven. This presents a larger number of hazards that could have occurred as a result of the vehicle itself or because of the driver’s inexperience with the vehicle. The company may be held liable if some element in the tow truck’s function played a part in this accident. The employees of any business should always be properly trained to handle vehicles and other equipment and any new equipment that the company acquires should go through significant testing before being used either on the streets or in the workplace.
