A 38-year-old Kenosha woman was airlifted after her vehicle was involved in a serious accident with a semi-truck in Caledonia on Oct. 27.
The woman was driving her Hyundai Accent and reportedly crossed the center line and struck the semi in the 7500 block of Highway 32 just before 9 a.m.
Seriously injured in the crash
When Caledonia police responded to the accident, the female driver was trapped in her vehicle and was unconscious. She had severe injuries and another motorist was tending to her. Caledonia Fire personnel had to remove the injured woman from her damaged vehicle. Then LifeNet Air Ambulance flew her to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.
The driver of the semi-truck, a 38-year-old man from West Allis, didn’t receive any injuries in the crash. He cooperated with crash investigators.
The accident remains under investigation.
What to know about auto vs. truck accidents
In 2018, about 112,000 semi-trucks were involved in injury accidents with passenger vehicles in the United States. The number of injuries and deaths resulting from accidents with large trucks has been on the rise since 2009. Also, a majority of these accidents, including the crash in Caledonia, occur:
- on weekdays
- in the daytime
Whenever passenger vehicles are involved in a semi-truck accident, more serious injuries are likely. Semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. So, any accident involving a large truck involves more force because of the truck’s increased weight.
That’s why both passenger vehicle drivers and truck drivers need to be careful drivers. Both should avoid driving distracted and driving while fatigued. Drivers of passenger vehicles should avoid traveling in a trucker’s blind spot or directly behind a truck. They also should give themselves plenty of space when passing a semi and not tailgate large trucks.
Practicing defensive driving techniques can help avoid a devastating or deadly accident with a semi. It’s always better to be cautious when sharing the road with large trucks. Then, passenger vehicle drivers and truckers are more likely to arrive at their destinations safely.
