Tractor-Trailer, Minivan, Both Damage Guardrail in New York Thruway Accident

On June 25th, a tractor-trailer and a minivan both struck the center guardrail on the New York Thruway near the town of Marcy between Utica and Rome in upstate New York, backing up traffic. While it appears the vehicles were not heavily damaged, the story continues to develop, and the most recent reports indicate that a child was injured in the accident.

The accident occurred in a highway construction zone, which is a dangerous and potentially-deadly area for drivers of all types of vehicles and motorcycles in particular, as well as highway construction workers. Construction zones often alter the lanes from their normal appearance or close lanes, which requires vehicles to slow to accommodate the volume of traffic compressed into a smaller space. Pylons or signage that is improperly placed may not give vehicles enough room to travel, forcing them to swerve out of their lane. Also, the activity in a construction zone may cause a driver to be easily distracted. When one car makes a sudden braking or lane change, other vehicles may not have room to maneuver out of the way, creating a multi-car accident or pileup.

Another hazard often found in construction zones is debris blown onto the roadway. Even small particles such as sand can be disastrous to motorcycles, which may not have time to adjust to the changing road condition. Construction zones that force vehicles to drive on the shoulder create similar hazards of unsafe road surfaces.

The risk of injury to drivers, passengers and especially construction workers is great in a construction zone accident. The rules of the road and the law of negligence require people to drive with reasonable care, and that standard may change depending upon the weather, traffic and road conditions at hand. If you are injured in a New York City motor vehicle accident, contact Leandros A. Vrionedes, P.C., Attorney at Law, for a free consultation.