This animation involves a pickup passing a tractor-trailer and impacting into another. The vehicles collided on the westbound service road in the far right lane. The roadway is a one-way, 3 lane road, and is oriented east west. The speed limit is posted at 50 mph. A truck driver stopped, to ask for directions, and left his tractor-trailer unattended in the right traffic lane. The hazard lights were left on, but no warning devices were placed behind trailer. A Pickup was traveling westbound on the service road. Ahead of him in the center lane was a tractor-trailer. A white car passed him in the right lane at a high rate of speed. The tractor-trailer he was trailing abruptly braked. The driver of the pickup turned right to go around the vehicle and headed into the right lane. When the parked tractor-trailer came into view he was traveling 50 to 54 mph. He braked and skidded into the parked trailer.

Charges were filed against the driver of the parked truck and the pichup. The truck driver was charged with “Leaving Motor Vehicle Unattended” and “No Insurance”. The pickup driver was charged with “Failure to Control Speed”.

Under the heading “Factors/Conditions Contributing” he lists the pickup driver as “Speeding Over the Limit”. Under the heading “Factors/Conditions May or May Not Have Contributed” nothing was listed.

It is important to be careful passing any vehicle. This is especially true with trucks. They are harder to see around and you always loose in a collision.