A Tennessee Department of Transportation road crew was en route to a job when one of the three road-maintenance vehicles punctured a tire. The crew pulled the trucks to the side of the road and turned on emergency lights before beginning to unload repair equipment. It was business as usual until a semi truck veered off the road and into two of the vehicles, leaving two workers injured and one dead.

Instant tragedy

David Younger, 65, was hit and killed instantly when the 18-wheeler left the road. Carl Smotherman, 59, and Santana Smith, 22, were injured in the accident, but were listed in stable condition after being transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. The truck driver, Candelario Castillo, was injured when the truck overturned after hitting the TDOT crew. He was taken to a nearby hospital with unknown injuries.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s criminal investigation, the result of Candelario’s violation of the Move Over Law, is still ongoing. TDOT Commissioner John Schroer told News 2 ABC, “We are deeply saddened by the loss, and our hearts and prayers are with his family. Every day, our employees work along Tennessee’s freeways, risking their lives. This is a tragic reminder of how dangerous highway jobs can be, and how motorists must use extreme caution any time they see our trucks on the side of the road.”

Distracted driving costs lives

David Younger was the victim of a crash that didn’t have to happen. Most wrecks occur because of a simple lack of attention. The circumstances surrounding the accident remain under investigation, but we know that truck drivers are at a higher risk of distracted or drowsy driving because of the way the trucking industry works. We still do not know what caused the driver to swerve – fatigue, distraction, even a medical emergency – but we do know a family suffers tonight. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Younger family.

Truck accidents change lives in an instant. The Nashville truck accident attorneys at The Rocky McElhaney Law Firm are experienced in litigating complex commercial truck accidents. If you or your loved one was injured in an 18-wheeler accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Call 615.246.5549, visit our offices in Nashville, Gallatin or Knoxville, or contact us today for a free consultation.