• 07
  • September
    2011

Traffic slowdowns are a common complaint of commuters on the Capitol Beltway. The past few days have been particularly bad what with weather and backups. Traffic accidents seem to be happening everywhere, including the truck accident in Prince George's County. Was reckless driving involved?

A tractor-trailer was working its way around the inner loop of the Beltway near Forestville yesterday morning. According to police the driver of the vehicle lost control and the truck overturned on the left shoulder. Both 100-gallon gas tanks on the truck burst open, spilling 200 gallons of diesel fuel on the road.

The accident occurred around 10:30 a.m. and hazardous material crews were still cleaning up the mess at 2 that afternoon. There was no fire and no other vehicles were involved, fortunately. The driver of the truck did suffer minor injuries and was hospitalized.

What's not clear from the reports of the accident is just what caused the driver to lose control in the first place. Even though no one else was hurt in the wreck, the environmental consequences of the crash, the clean up, and the resulting traffic delays could lead to some charges being filed against the driver.

Such a scenario is not uncommon. Charges of driving under the influence (DUI) or other traffic violations are the most common charges any average person is likely to face. If you find yourself in such circumstances, the wise thing to do is to contact an experienced defense attorney to fight against a possible conviction, or help mitigate the devastating penalties that you might face if found guilty.

Source: Gazette.net, "Truck overturns on Capital Beltway, spills 200 gallons of fuel," Erich Wagner, Sept. 6, 2011