The importance of keeping a proper lookout while driving on Missouri roads was underscored on a recent Wednesday afternoon in Franklin County. The Missouri Highway Patrol reported a three-vehicle accident that occurred on Highway 47 that involved two sedans and a concrete truck. After the accident claimed the life of one driver and caused personal injury to two others, a trooper once again urged drivers to be alert at all times.

According to a preliminary accident report, a 79-year-old driver of a northbound sedan apparently failed to observe a stationary car in the northbound lane of Highway 47 and smashed into the rear of it. The impact sent the stationary car into the southbound lanes, directly into the path of a concrete truck. The head-on collision that followed caused the death of the 34-year-old driver of the car.

Both the driver of the other car and the concrete truck driver suffered moderate injuries. No reason for the car to have stopped on the highway was reported, and an accident reconstruction was carried out as part of the investigation. Determining what criminal charges will follow, if any, will be the task of the prosecutor.

Drivers must maintain a safe following distance and avoid distractions. The rear-ending driver may be found negligent based upon the evidence gathered to date, and the surviving family members of the deceased driver may be entitled to file a wrongful death claim. The concrete truck driver, likely entitled to workers’ compensation benefits in any event,  may also pursue a claim for financial relief against the party or parties deemed responsible by filing a personal injury lawsuit. Retaining the services of an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney may prove helpful in determining the viability of potential civil claims in Missouri to pursue compensation for financial losses sustained.

Source: fox2now.com, “Fatal accident near Union MO“, Roche Madden, July 22, 2015