Semi Truck Collisions in Aurora: When a Right Turn Goes Too Wide
A semi truck stopped at a red light might be positioned slightly over the left lane, even with its right turn signal activated. A driver in Aurora can easily end up next to the cab, parked along a crosswalk line or storm drain, and have very little space remaining when the trailer swings right.
How the Driver in the Car Might Experience the Crash
The truck driver’s turn may seem like a lane change to the driver in the car. The cab moves to the left, leaving a gap on the right where a car can drive through. Lane markings that are hard to see on Colfax Avenue, for example, or a row of orange construction barriers or a row of cars waiting at a stop line on Tower Road can all make the truck’s maneuver more difficult to see.
A driver might not see the turn signal until they reach the truck’s passenger door. By then, the truck’s cab has started turning into the intersection, but the trailer is still pointed relatively straight ahead. Even with a green light, a crosswalk countdown clock, and another car behind them, a driver might not be able to get away before the trailer’s side starts moving toward the car’s mirror and front fender.
Semi truck making a wide right turn beside a car
What the Truck Driver Might Not Notice
A truck driver is sitting higher than most cars, but their mirrors don’t cover the whole passenger side of the truck. A compact car driving near the truck’s fuel tank or just past the cab could be out of sight. Dirty glass or bright sunlight shining into a truck’s side mirror could obscure a car’s view. Rain could – you can see more at https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/en, also blur visibility.
Trucks making deliveries at warehouses off of Interstate 70 can face other challenges. While a truck driver might be focused on keeping clear of a curb, a fire hydrant, or the back of the trailer, they may also be watching for forklifts or yard tractors pulling trailers. If the truck driver is trying to keep the trailer’s tires off of the concrete corners, the cab will need to swing left before it can curve back to the right. The car beside the truck might not be visible during all of that movement.
How Video Footage Could Help
Videos can show exactly how two vehicles got too close to each other. A traffic camera might show when the truck’s right turn signal started flashing, and if the car drove into the space in front of the truck before or after the truck driver began moving left. A warehouse security camera positioned above a roll-up door might show when the trailer’s rear tires crossed a lane marking, even if the camera isn’t positioned to see the actual collision.
Several types of common videos might be helpful:
- A dash cam pointing at a string of overhead traffic lights
- A bus camera looking at a car that was driving beside the truck
- A loading dock camera with a timestamp visible in one corner
- A store security camera looking across a driveway and onto the sidewalk
Video files might only be stored for a short time (browse this site). Some small cameras placed above a warehouse gate might only keep a few days of video, especially when trucks delivering goods are constantly triggering the camera’s motion detection.
How Vehicle Damage Might Document a Truck’s Movement
Damage to the vehicles involved in semi truck collisions in Aurora can document the order in which vehicles came into contact. A crushed front fender might be evidence that the car got stuck as the trailer swung inward. Scrape marks on both car doors can match a truck’s bolts, underride guard, or lower panel. A broken mirror found several feet behind where a car finally came to rest might be used to show where a collision first began.
Investigators documenting vehicle damage after a truck collision
A truck can show subtle signs that it was involved in a crash. Investigators might find a streak of matching paint on a truck’s wheel rim, fresh rubber marks on a tire tread, or an area of polished metal on a dust-covered side guard. Skid marks beside a manhole cover and pieces of broken plastic near a crosswalk might help tie these clues to the path taken by a truck making a wide turn.
Collecting Evidence at the Crash Scene
A photo of the scene after a wide-turn crash should show lane markings, traffic signals, the curb, any debris on the ground, and where both vehicles stopped. While it might be important to take a close-up photo of a dent in a car, it’s also important to take a photo of the dent in relation to the entrance to a warehouse or a corner of the curb where concrete has been chipped off. Video evidence, vehicle data, witness statements, and vehicle damage might all be reviewed together before skid marks are washed away and broken pieces of plastic are swept off of the road.