Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A Chicago truck driving faces vehicular homicide charges and a wrongful death lawsuit for a Pennsylvania trucking accident that killed a woman last fall. The family is also suing Vidov Trucking of Indiana.
Pennsylvania state police charged the truck driver this week. Authorities say his container truck was too high when it struck an overpass, knocking the container onto an SUV and killing the driver, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Morning Call reports the driver was charged with homicide by vehicle and related offenses and the family of the victim, Michelle LaMaze, has filed a civil lawsuit seeking damages.
Authorities report the container the trucker was hauling exceeded the 13 feet 6 inch height limit when it struck the overpass.
The truck driver reportedly told police that he did not measure the container, did not know how high it was and could not say how fast he was traveling at the time of impact. Police also report that the container was not properly fastened to the semi and that the truck was not permitted for an oversize load, which would have required it to be re-routed to avoid low overpasses.
He also told police he could not detail his route or report his destination because he was relying upon a GPS system, according to the Morning Call.
The trucker faces charges of homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and careless driving. He was sent to Lehigh County Jail with bail of $30,000.