Christy Robinson said she could feel the truck hit the ground.
“I remember waiting to feel it hit the back of our car,” Davidson said. The truck in question was carrying 18.5 tons of liquid ammonia at the time of the near accident.
Robinson and her husband were going down a hill on Highway 149 just outside of Clarksville. Her husband Rob worked as an emergency responder, and he had told his wife about a truck that had recently tipped over at that same intersection. Her fears were realized when she saw the approaching tractor-trailer start to tip over.
“I saw one side come up so I jerked real fast to try to pull over because I’d rather hit the guard rail,” she told the Leaf Chronicle. Gravity and inertia took over as the truck fell to its side just as Robinson’s car skirted past.
Fortunately, none of the ammonia leaked from the truck. When airborne, anhydrous ammonia can wreak havoc on the lungs. Authorities repaired a minor diesel fuel leak and reopened the road not long after the accident.
Calvin Wheeley was driving the truck. In his 32 years of truck driving, he had never committed a moving violation. He said he made sure that the ammonia was safe to transport before taking it on the road.
“I even had to take a 52-question written test to get sort of like a little license saying I was qualified to haul it,” Wheeley said. He sustained minor injuries in the accident.
Police officials said that speed, inertia and gravity caused the liquid to upset the balance of the truck as it went around the turn.
We are very thankful that a potentially fatal truck accident – for anyone within breathing distance – failed to cause serious injury. Always give thanks for near-misses like this. If a truck did injure you or a loved one, talk to us. We offer free consultations to help you figure out the next step.
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Law Office of Stanley A. Davis – Nashville truck accident lawyer