Stanford Artman, Cynthia Artman Died In Jefferson County Semi-Truck Accident
Truck Accident - January 21, 2025
Stanford Artman, Cynthia Artman, From St. Charles, Missouri, Died After Being Rear-Ended by a Semi-Truck on Interstate 57 Near Ina in Jefferson County
JEFFERSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS (January 20, 2025) – A married couple identified as Stanford Artman and Cynthia Artman has tragically died in a Jefferson County semi-truck accident.
Jefferson County officials are saying that the incident took place on Thursday morning. Stanford Artman and Cynthia Artman were traveling southbound on I-57 when traffic began to slow.
A semi-truck behind them failed to slow down in time and rear-ended their vehicle. This pushed their car into the back of another semi truck.
Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the victims. Tragically, Stanford Artman was pronounced dead at the scene. Cynthia Artman was airlifted to St. Louis Hospital with critical injuries.
Despite lifesaving measures, she later died at the hospital. The first semi-truck driver was cited with failure to reduce speed in order to avoid a collision.
A full investigation into the incident remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for Jefferson County Semi-Truck Accidents
Thousands of people are killed or seriously injured in semi-truck accidents every year in the United States. According to the National Safety Council, “In 2022, 5,837 large trucks were involved in a fatal crash, an 1.8% increase from 2021 and a 49% increase in the last 10 years. The involvement rate per 100 million large-truck miles traveled is up 3% from 2021, and up 24% in the last 10 years. ” There are a number of common causes of semi truck accidents.
- Semi truck drivers are off and asked to work long hours and may naturally become fatigued.
- Semi truck drivers may be distracted by their phones or even eating.
- Semi truck drivers may be traveling too fast for the prevailing conditions of the road.
- Semi truck drivers may have mechanical issues with the steering suspension or other vehicle systems.
- Semi truck drivers may be operating their vehicle in poor weather conditions, such as rain or fog.
Semi truck drivers must get a commercial license. They are expected to be intimately familiar with how their vehicle operates and drive with the utmost caution. Pursuant to Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/11-601(a), no person shall operate a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than what would be reasonable and prudent given the prevailing conditions of the roadway. If a freeway has dense traffic, truck drivers should slow down to accommodate this. If a truck driver fails to slow down in order to prevent a collision, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.
Liability for a truck accident could extend beyond any single driver. The company that a truck driver worked for could also be held at fault. Generally speaking, companies are liable for the wrongful actions of their employees – insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. For example, a truck driver may have been delivering goods from one location to another. It is important that evidence is properly preserved after any truck accident.
- Surveillance footage related to the incident should be sought.
- The event data recorder on the truck should be reviewed.
- The truck driver’s logbook should be examined.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records related to the incident should be preserved.
The vast majority of fatal semi-truck accidents are preventable. They tend to involve situations where drivers are either distracted or traveling too fast for the prevailing conditions. In fact, nearly 10% of all truck drivers involved in a fatal collision reported feeling under pressure from their carrier. Federal law requires the truck drivers to take periodic breaks and only work so many hours per day. But far too often these regulations are completely ignored. It is important that accident victims understand that they do have legal rights.
Investigating Jefferson County Semi-Truck Accidents
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Stanford Artman and Cynthia Artman. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the Illinois State Police. This was a preventable tragedy that should have never taken place. There are so many questions that remain unanswered. Was this semi-truck driver distracted? Were they fatigued? Were they properly licensed? It is our sincere hope that measures are taken to prevent similar tragedies.