Capital Beltway crash injures 7, shuts down traffic

A collision with a truck is more likely to result in serious injuries due to the greater weight of the vehicle. A truck accident may also involve violations of the regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The following accident illustrates how collisions with commercial trucks can cause major problems for injured motorists.

Officials from the Prince George’s County Fire Department report that a tractor-trailer rear-ended a fire truck on the Capital Beltway just before 3 a.m. on Jan. 30. The fire truck had already responded to a previous accident and was returning to the fire station when the crash occurred.

Both vehicles overturned, which also caused an SUV to overturn, according to fire officials. They added that the crashes injured at least seven people, including four firefighters. The injured individuals, some of whom had serious injuries, were transported to Prince George’s Hospital Center.

The crash blocked all traffic in both directions, shutting down the inner loop of the Capital Beltway for over an hour. One lane in each direction had opened by the beginning of the morning rush hour. Investigators said the cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

Persons involved in a truck accident should expect the trucking company’s insurance carrier to respond promptly to the incident. However, insurance companies make it their business to do whatever is in their power to limit the payout to injured victims. It is always important, then, to consult with an attorney as soon as possible following a crash with a large commercial vehicle.

Source: The Washington Post, “Beltway jammed near Route 50 in Maryland after crash,” Maggie Fazeli Fard, Jan. 30, 2013