Diana Garcia Killed In Cook County Semi-Truck Accident on Interstate 294

Truck Accident - February 19, 2023

Diana Garcia, 59, of Greenville, Wisconsin Died, Man Injured In Cook County Semi-Truck Accident On Interstate 294 By Milepost 30 —> GoFundMe Created To Help Victim’s Family

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (February 18, 2023) – A woman identified as Diana Garcia was killed and a male passenger was injured in a Cook County semi-truck accident on Interstate 294.

Cook County officials are saying that the collision took place around 7:19 a.m. on Saturday. Diana Garcia was in a Nissan Sentra  that stalled on the freeway due to a previous crash.

The driver of a semi-truck failed to slow down and rear-ended the Nissan. Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help the victims.

Both people in the Nissan were transported to the hospital in order to receive treatment. Sadly, Diana Garcia died due to the severe nature of her injuries.

A full investigation into the crash remains ongoing at this time. You can support the family of the victims through GoFundMe.

According to the fundraiser, “It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing the tragic and sudden death of Diana Garcia and the critical injuries of Oscar Garcia due to a car accident that occurred on Feb 18th in Cook County, Illinois. Unfortunately, Diana Garcia passed away and Oscar Garcia is currently receiving medical care.”

Liability For Cook County Semi-Truck Accidents

A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh as much as 80,000 lbs making it very difficult to control. According to the Department of Transportation, “a fully loaded tractor-trailer weighing 80,000 pounds traveling under ideal conditions at a speed of 65 miles per hour will take 525 feet to stop (almost the length of two football fields).” During periods of inclement weather or poor road conditions, this stopping distance could increase significantly. There are a number of steps that truck drivers should take in order to prevent collisions.

• Truck drivers should be well rested before the start of their shift.
• Truck drivers should be well trained to handle their specific rig.
• Truck drivers should ideally plan their routes ahead of time.

Driver fatigue, in particular, is one of the leading causes of semi-truck accidents. Truck drivers are often asked to work at all times of the day and night – including when a truck driver might otherwise be sleeping. The CDC estimates that staying awake for only 18 hours can reduce a person’s ability to drive safely equal to driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%. For comparison, it is illegal for commercial drivers to drive with a BAC of 0.04% or higher.

Semi-truck drivers will need to get a commercial license and are held to a high standard in terms of safety. Pursuant to Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-601),  no person shall operate a motor vehicle at a speed greater than what would be safe given the prevailing conditions of the roadway. There is a rebuttable presumption of negligence on the part of any driver that hits another vehicle in their own lane. This is typically true even when the vehicle that is struck is stopped in the middle of the road. There are many steps that should be taken after any semi-truck accident.

• Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
• Medical records should be preserved.
• The truck’s event data recorder (EDR) should be examined.
• A thorough investigation should be conducted.

Truck drivers are required to undergo specialized training and must do everything that they can to prevent collisions. There is almost never any reason a truck driver should rear-end another vehicle in the road. These types of collisions tend to happen when a truck driver is distracted, fatigued, speeding or following the lead vehicle at an unsafe distance. Unfortunately, though, truck companies will often fight extremely hard to deny liability for any collision that their drivers are involved in.

Investigating A Cook County Semi-Truck Accident

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Diana Garcia. It is our sincere hope that the passenger in the Nissan will be able to recover. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what happened for the sake of all who have lost so much. This was a preventable tragedy that should not have taken place.

Do you need more information about an Illinois semi-truck accident? Our team of consumer safety advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims get the information and resources that they are entitled to under the law. Whether you just have questions or need a free, independent investigation into a particular incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.