Truck Driver was Streaming Netflix while Driving when Couple was Killed in Truck Accident
News of the trifling distraction that caused a truck driver to crash into two vehicles, killing one couple and injuring another, hit the internet today as investigators learned more about exactly what pulled the truck driver’s focus from the road. According to national news reports, USA Today, 55-year-old semi-truck driver Billy Joe Grimes, of Lansing Tennessee, was found by investigators to have been streaming the Netflix hit show Rust Valley Restorers prior to the horrific and fatal accident.
The initial accident occurred in August, 2023, when Grimes drove his semi-truck through Minnesota. Grimes was driving on Interstate 35 near Faribault, close to a construction zone when he is believed to have lost focus of the road and plowed the semi-truck into a Toyota Camry and a Chevrolet pickup truck. The Toyota Camry was “crushed” in the accident and fell into a ditch. The occupants of the Toyota Camry, a couple in their 50’s from Iowa, were killed in the accident. According to authorities, “The semi and pickup continued into the ditch, through the barbed wire fence to the railroad track east of the interstate.”
According to reports, Grimes initially told investigating authorities that he was only downloading Rust Valley Restorers from Netflix, and was not viewing it at the time of the accident. Grimes chalked the accident up to the fact that the “car was right in front of him and…he was unable to stop because of the heavy load he was hauling.” However, investigations into the accident revealed through dash cam footage and roadside cameras that Grimes was streaming the show on his phone when the accident happened. The evidence also indicated that in the five miles that led up to the nearby construction zone, multiple flashing lights warned Grimes of the construction slow-down and merging traffic on the road.
Ultimately, investigators found that Grimes had been streaming Rust Valley Restorers for a minimum of 20 mins before the accident, and he was distracted as a result. Rice County Attorney Brian Mortenson stated in the criminal complaint against Grimes, “There was ample space for Grimes to perceive the slow-moving traffic ahead, to slow down and avoid colliding into the rear of the Toyota and Chevrolet pulling the trailer.”
Legal Help for Victims of Distracted and Negligent Truck Accidents in Palmdale
If you were injured in a semi-truck or 18-wheeler truck accident in Palmdale, it is important to learn about your rights and options under California personal injury laws. Victims of truck accidents caused by negligent or distracted truck drivers may be entitled to compensation for their injuries and losses. In order to determine whether you have a case for compensation for your truck accident injuries, it is best to speak with an experienced Palmdale truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.
The experienced Palmdale truck accident lawyers at the Trevino Law Firm are here to help Palmdale truck accident victims get justice. Contact the Trevino Law Firm today and learn about your rights and options now.
Source:
usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/05/01/truck-driver-netflix-crash/73526318007/
