In this Preventable or Not accident scenario, a speed-crazed restaurant employee speeds into a parking lot and skids into a truck driver's fuel tank. Was this accident preventable?
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On the morning of the accident, truck driver John Doe was rolling along Friendly Road toward Greensboro, NC, en route to the Fiesta Fresh restaurant with several boxes of Mrs. Hotstuff’s chili con carne.
Approaching the trucks-only delivery entrance, Doe slowed to a crawl, cautiously entered the tiny dock area behind the restaurant and began a wide swing toward the right, at 5 mph, in anticipation of backing into the loading area.
Without warning, tragedy struck. A late-for-work waitress accelerated wildly into the gravel covered dock area in her Jeep Compass as a shortcut to the employee parking area. Suddenly aware that Doe was turning across her bow, she hit the brakes and started to slide. Simultaneously, Doe saw a flash of metal enter the yard and quickly stopped, but WHAMMO! The waitress’s car skid into, and dented, Doe’s right side fairing.
Doe contested the preventable accident warning letter he received from his safety director. The National Safety Council ruled in Doe’s favor, noting that he had proceeded with caution and was stationary when struck by the speed crazed restaurant employee.
