摘要: |
On June 23, 2015, a 23-year-old state police trooper was fatally injured when he lost control of his vehicle in a curve and was struck by an oncoming tractor trailer. The trooper was responding to a complaint of a reckless driver whom Dispatch had advised was traveling ahead of him. Using his cell phone, the trooper called Dispatch to get an update on the location of the reckless driver. As the trooper entered a curve in the road, he lost control of his patrol car, which rotated counterclockwise, and crossed into the path of oncoming traffic. Seeing the out-of-control patrol unit, the driver of an oncoming tractor trailer applied his brakes and steered toward the shoulder in attempt to avoid crashing into the trooper. The patrol unit had spun approximately three-fourths of a full rotation, placing the driver's side door in front of the oncoming tractor trailer as the collision occurred. The trooper died on impact. Contributing Factors: Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include: 1. Vehicle speed; 2. Use of a cell phone while driving; 3. Roadway conditions and/or weather. |