A semi-truck that was traveling southbound along Route 13 crashed into a Virginia Department of Transportation pickup truck that was assisting with a car accident scene. It all started at approximately 3:55 a.m., when Virginia troopers were notified of a 3-car collision in Melfa. A VDOT pickup was the first to arrive at the scene.
Later, at approximately 4:20 a.m., a semi-truck slammed into the VDOT pickup and actually landed on top of it. The back of the tractor-trailer fell onto the side of the pickup where the driver was sitting. Miraculously, the male pickup truck driver did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
The employee behind the wheel of the pickup truck is a 30-year VDOT veteran. He suffered cuts on his hand because he was holding onto his steering wheel at the time of the collision. He was rushed to the hospital to receive treatment for those wounds, and he also reported that he had back pain. As of last reports, he had been released from the hospital.
The semi-truck driver was charged with failing to maintain a lane in the accident.
Virginia workers who suffer an injury on the job can seek money to pay for their medical care by way of a workers’ compensation claim. While the success of a workers’ compensation claim for benefits cannot be guaranteed, such benefits can represent a vital lifeline of financial support to the workers who qualify to receive them. Workers who are temporarily and/or permanently unable to work due to work-related injuries can also apply for income replacement benefits during their periods of recovery.
Source: krqe.com, “Tractor-trailer crushes truck assisting other accident in Virginia” Jane Wertz, Feb. 19, 2015