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The Houston Chronicle reported that four people were killed and two others injured in a semi truck accident when the vehicle crashed into vehicles stopped in an I-30 construction zone near Texarkana, Arkansas.

TEXARKANA, Ark. — Four people were killed and two people were injured Tuesday when a tractor-trailer crashed into vehicles stopped in an Interstate 30 construction zone near Texarkana and set off an explosion.

I-30 was closed in both directions after the fiery 2:30 a.m. accident, and the westbound lanes remained closed Tuesday afternoon.

State police said 43-year-old Vaughn Gentry of Dallas and 51-year-old Albert Pruitt of Addison, Texas, died in a rig that was hauling newspaper advertising inserts. Also killed were 77-year-old Walter Carpenter and 64-year-old Victory Barker of Hot Springs, who were in a passenger car.

Investigators said Carpenter and three other drivers were stopped in the work zone when a Freightliner that Gentry and Pruitt were in set off an explosion when they hit Carpenter’s car. Police could not determine who was driving the truck.

Our hearts go out the families of those injured and killed. They are in our thoughts and prayers. This trucking accident is eerily similar to the devastating tractor trailer accident that occurred in Oklahoma. There have been a number of tractor trailer accident deaths spanning the country, including semi truck accidents in Nebraska, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, California, and Missouri.

Too many people have been killed by tractor trailer crashes.

Driving an 80,000 tractor trailer covering hundreds of thousands of miles is an awesome responsibility. Truckers and trucking corporations must be vigilant about safety. The National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB") lists the following as some of the most common causes of big rig accidents:

  • Poor Driver Training

  • Driver Fatigue (Tiredness)

  • Speeding

  • Overloaded Trucks

  • Oversized Trucks

  • Brake Failure

  • Poor Driving Conditions

  • Driver Inexperience

  • Failure To Yield The Right-Of-Way

  • Driving Under The Influence of Alcohol Or Drugs

  • Aggressive, Dangerous Or Reckless Driving

  • Mechanical Failure (Or Improper Maintenance)

  • Defective Parts (Such As Defective Steering Or Brakes)

Truckers and trucking companies must be mindful of each of these trucking accident causes.

Visit our trucking accident web site to learn more about trucking accident safety or trucking accident investigation.

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