A St. Louis County truck accident left three people injured Tuesday morning. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, around 10:30am, three vehicles were going northbound on 270 just near the MO 30 exit, when the chain-reaction crash happened. The three vehicles involved were a 2002 Ford Mustang, driven by Douglas Diffey (53), a tractor-trailer (2001 Freightliner Classic XL), driven by Rick Davies (50), and a 2007 Chevrolet Impala, driven by Traci Wililams (40). Reports stated that the crash began when the right side of Davies’ tractor-trailer hit the left side of Wililams’ Impala. The impact caused Wililams to swerve to the right and hit the rear of Diffey’s Mustang. Douglas Diffey’s vehicle then spun around causing an impact with the tractor-trailer. Both the Mustang and the Impala travelled off the road, struck a rock bluff, and then finally came to a stop.

As a result of this Missouri truck accident, Douglas Diffey and his passenger, Gregory Kellison (60), were taken to Mercy Hospital in Creve Couer for treatment of moderate injuries. Traci Wililams was taken to St. Anthony’s Hospital with minor injuries by Mehlville Fire and EMS. All involved in this accident were reported as wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash, and the Mustang and Impala were totaled as a result.

Fortunately, the tractor-trailer is most likely a corporate vehicle. This should mean that there is adequate insurance coverage to compensate for the carnage created by Mr. Diffey. I say this because Mr. Diffey will be responsible, at least in part, for the damages caused to each vehicle and occupant involved in this chain reaction accident.

I’m not sure why Mr. Diffey travelled into the next lane, could’ve been distracted driving, trucker fatigue, or even vehicle malfunction. Obviously, most people will assume that distracted driving might have had something to do with it. Distracted driving, such as texting or fiddling with an ipod is really no different than driving drunk. Driving drunk or driving distracted keep your mind off of the road and lengthen your reaction time, and is especially dangerous when you are driving a large vehicle like a tractor-trailer.

If you’ve been involved in a Missouri truck accident you might not need a lawyer. But regardless of whether or not legal action is appropriate, there are still obstacles that, if faced alone, you may have trouble with. Request a copy of my FREE book, “The Missouri Accident Book.” It’s a comprehensive guide of car accident information that will help you navigate through all the tough situations that arise after your car accident. Order your FREE copy today.