3 Die in California Pile Up

Fox News is reporting that three people have died in a fiery crash that involved eleven vehicles, including four tractor trailers:

A fire department news release says the accident happened shortly before 5:20 p.m. Tuesday north of Highway 119.

Officials say four big rigs and seven passenger vehicles collided and six of the vehicles caught fire.

Crews used hydraulic rescue equipment to free a small child who was trapped in a car seat in one of the vehicles. The child was taken to a hospital in unknown condition.

Five other people were taken to hospitals in stable condition.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Crashes like this are tragic and often prevenatable. This accident is still under investigation and officials have not yet determined the cause. However, I find myself asking why this collision involved four semi-trucks? Trucking accidents are much more severe than a typical car accident. Were the semi trucks driving too fast? Were the truckers not paying attention? Why could the trucks not slow down or stop before the collision?

I also have concerns about the number of car fires from this collision. How did more than half of the vehicles involved catch on fire? Car makers have known for years that cars should not catch fire in otherwise survivable accidents — a driver should not survive a collision only to be killed in a vehicle fire. Did these vehicles have defective fuel systems? Were the gas tanks shielded properly? Did the fuel systems include an anti-siphoning check valve to prevent a gas leak?

You can find out more about trucking accidents and fuel system defects at our web site.

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