It’s often easy to forget just how dangerous our roads and highways can be. When everything goes as it’s supposed to, traffic moves smoothly and everyone reaches their destinations safely. However, one small error on the part of a driver can lead to a fatal crash, forever changing the lives of the people involved and their families.
That’s the situation that took place earlier this week on Interstate 78 in Berks County. A tractor-trailer rear-ended a vehicle in front of it, pushing the car into other vehicles. The car caught on fire in the process, killing the 52-year-old driver.
The fire then jumped from the first victim’s car to another car involved in the wreck. The occupants of that car, a husband and wife both in their 50s, couldn’t get out of their car after it caught fire; they both died from their injuries as well. The driver of another nearby vehicle was able to escape with minor injuries before the fire could overwhelm the car.
It isn’t clear what started the chain-reaction crash, but officials said the tractor-trailer driver would probably be cited for his role in the multi-car accident. That is likely small consolation to the families of the victims. They will have numerous expenses to contend with, including funeral costs, not to mention the future loss of income that their loved ones would have earned had they continued to live. These are only some of the reasons why grieving family members might turn to the assistance of a Pennsylvania personal injury attorney.
Source: WFMZ-TV, “Police identify three victims of fiery I-78 accident,” Liz Kilmer, May 13, 2014