John Doe took evasive action from the pizza truck that was heading his way from the opposing traffic lanes, but both vehicles were crunched. Was this a preventable accident?
Thankfully, the highway through Sweet Lips, Tennessee, was bone dry, lightly traveled that sunny afternoon and divided by a wide grassy median.
Trying to watch his swimsuit figure, Doe popped a baby carrot into his mouth and turned up the CB, listening to entertaining comments about the “seat covers” in a pink Corvette convertible, with its top down, westbound at mile marker 125. As Doe was starting to relax, movement in the median caught his eye. There was an out-of-control Pop’s Pizza truck heading his way from the opposing traffic lanes!
Immediately, Doe took evasive action, but … CRASH! Then there was nothing but silence – and a section of highway littered with pepperoni and black olives. Both drivers were uninjured, but both vehicles were crunched, and Doe’s bag of carrots had flown out the window.
Was this accident preventable?
Doe received a preventable-accident warning letter from his safety director and contested, asking the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee decide the issue. NSC immediately ruled in Doe’s favor, noting that he’d been alert to the danger ahead and had immediately attempted – albeit without success – to steer clear of the attacking vehicle.
