Winter driving in Pennsylvania is dangerous. Roads can be slippery and more narrow than usual; drivers might clean off their windows insufficiently, impairing their vision. Additionally, fewer hours of daylight mean that drives that might otherwise be undertaken in the daytime are done at night, when visibility is worse.
Of course, winter driving features another hazard not seen at other times of the year: snowplows. While roads need to be plowed and sanded in order for people to get around, the high-profile vehicles can make it difficult for drivers to see around them — and for plow drivers to determine who or what might be in their paths.
A recent fatal crash took the life of 71-year-old Reading man. The pedestrian was crossing the street just a few blocks from his home when he was hit by a city public works truck. He was critically injured in the accident, and was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later at a nearby hospital.
The cause of the fatal motor vehicle accident hasn’t been officially determined; it may take some time before Berks County officials can complete an investigation. Officials declined to comment about the case in the immediate aftermath of the accident.
In any case, the family of the victim will have many questions. Was the man in a crosswalk at the time of the crash? Was the driver of the truck on official government business? Did bad weather play a role in the accident? Whatever the answers to these questions, the family might seek help from an experienced wrongful death attorney in order to contemplate their course of action.
Source: WHTM-TV, “Elderly man struck, killed by snowplow identified,” March 5, 2014