It can be frustrating to come upon a car going slower than the posted speed limit on the interstate. Nevertheless, Louisiana drivers are still obligated to exercise caution, which often means slowing down until they are able to get into another, faster lane of travel. Otherwise, if a driver assumes that every vehicle is moving at highway speeds and fails to remain vigilant, a car accident can be the result.
An 82-year-old man and his 80-year-old wife were traveling east on Interstate 10 in the right lane. Reportedly, the elderly man was driving slowly when a tractor-trailer came up behind him. The driver of the truck failed to slow and slammed into the back of the car near the Interstate 59 junction.
The impact threw both vehicles into the median. Part of the 18-wheeler came to rest in the inside lane of the westbound side of the interstate. The Louisiana State Police had to close the highway while the vehicles were removed. The 36-year-old driver of the truck escaped the wreckage unharmed. The elderly husband and wife both suffered fatal injuries to which they succumbed.
The couple’s surviving family members retain the right to file wrongful death claims against the truck driver and his employer in connection with this tragic truck vs. car accident. Even if the older driver is found to be partially responsible for the crash, his family may still be awarded damages so long as the evidence establishes negligence on the part of the truck driver. Any monetary restitution ordered by the court could defray the costs sustained because of the death of the couple.
Source: gulflive.com, “I-10 fatal accident: Elderly couple killed in Louisiana“, June 15, 2015
