On November 26, Illinois State Police Trooper Kyle Deatherage was tragically struck and killed by a tractor trailer while he was standing along Interstate 55 after making a traffic stop. This occurred near Litchfield, Ill., about 60 miles north of St. Louis. The trooper left behind a wife and two young children.
In an article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, some troubling questions about possible driver negligence and company negligence have surfaced.
The newspaper reports that, following the fatal accident, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has declared the truck driver an "imminent hazard." The reason? The driver told investigating officers following the accident that he lost consciousness behind the wheel prior to the crash. The loss of consciousness is due to a medical condition, according to the driver. And that medical condition prevents him from getting behind the wheel of his tractor trailer or any commercial vehicle, says the DOT.
The trucking company is conducting its own investigation of the accident, while Montgomery County in Illinois is conducting a criminal investigation, with possible charges pending.
The question of whether or not the trucking company was aware of his medical condition has still to be answered. Regardless of the criminal investigation's conclusions, the separate matter of determining all parties responsible for this fatal trucking accident and holding them fully accountable remains.
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