Georgia Truck Accident Lawyers Blog

The driver of a fuel tanker was killed after a Georgia tractor-trailer accident on I-95 south of Richmond Hill, according to the Bryan County News. The crash involved a second tractor-trailer, which was hauling cars.

Our Atlanta trucking accident attorneys reported previously on our Georgia Truck Accident Lawyers Blog that unsafe or hazardous loads require compliance with specific regulations. With one truck hauling fuel and the other hauling cars, both were carrying specialty loads. Though there is no indication that the loads contributed to the accident, the fuel certainly contributed to the fire and the death of the tanker's driver.

The Georgia State Patrol reports that the tanker truck struck the car hauler at about 3:40 a.m. The tractor-trailer had just merged onto the Interstate from Highway 17 at the time of the crash.

“The tanker just came up from behind, hit him and burst into flames," said Trooper Henry Gilliard. "The tanker was carrying gasoline."

The driver of the tanker, a 28-year-old man from Brunswick, died at the scene.

Police said there was no reaction and questioned whether the driver was sleeping or just distracted. The 39-year-old Florida man at the wheel of the car hauler was not injured.

Elsewhere, Access North Georgia reports a portion of Old Cornelia Highway in the area of East Hall was closed after a tractor-trailer overturned near Whitehall Road.

The rig was carrying a load of All-Terrain Vehicles, which had to be offloaded before the truck could be pulled upright. A hazardous material team was called to the scene to help clean up the fuel that spilled from the wreck.