Police Say Sleepy Tractor Trailer Driver Mowed Down Six Motorcyclists in North Carolina

Motorcyclists are vulnerable on the roads of Virginia and North Carolina at the best of times. When they are mown down by a trucker who has lost control of his big rig, the consequences can be tragic.

Six bikers who were by the side of the road were hit by a big rig near Greensboro in North Carolina. One of them was killed instantly and two others were gravely injured.

WTVR.com reported that members of a motorcycling club from Richmond in Virginia and Laurel in Maryland were hit by a big rig after the driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel.

North Carolina authorities reported six of the club’s motorcycles were on the shoulder of I-85 in Greensboro. They were heading to a motorcycle rally in Atlanta, Georgia and were taking a break.

“The unidentified driver of the big rig from Florida apparently fell asleep and ran off the road, plowing through the motorcycles,” reported the TV station. The trucker may not even have even noticed he had hit the motorcyclists until he pulled off a half-mile up the road because of a flat tire, from the crash, according to a police report.

“One witness who observed the actual impact said the tractor trailer driver drifted from the middle southbound travel lane and went right off the road into all six motorcycles,” NC State Highway Patrol Master Trooper Christopher D. Knox said in a press release.

This accident had tragic consequences. One of the motorcyclists who was standing on the shoulder of the road was killed instantly.  Two other riders who were standing on the roadside were seriously injured by the impact .  Three other bikers, including a woman who was sitting on her bike, were treated for minor injuries at Moses Cone Hospital.

The leader of the Maryland chapter was killed in this crash and Ken Jefferson, a member of the Richmond chapter, was critically injured. He is a UPS trucker by profession.

The truck driver was later charged over the wreck on Saturday morning. Drowsiness is one of the most serious problems we see in the trucking industry where drivers are expected to work long hours. There have been a spate of serious trucking accidents caused by drowsiness in recent months, notwithstanding federal Rules of Service regulations that are meant to alleviate the problem.

If you have been hit by a drowsy trucker you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the driver in question and his or her trucking company. Call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers at 757.455.0077 for a free consultation.