Truck Accident Lawyer News

FLETCHER, NC – A truck driver faces multiple charges after he set off a deadly chain reaction truck accident late Sunday night, October 26, in Henderson County, North Carolina. The incident occurred on Interstate 26 in the city of Fletcher when a semi trailer truck slammed into a line of traffic. The truck accident area is in the Asheville metro region in the western section of the state, about 124 miles southeast of Knoxville, Tennessee and about 55 miles north of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Late Sunday night Roumen Velkov of Beloit, Wisconsin was driving a semi trailer truck east on Interstate 26, traveling through Henderson County, NC. He was driving the tractor trailer for Global Carrier Company, based in Justice, Illinois.

A short time earlier an accident had happened about one mile east of Fletcher, a suburb just southeast of the city of Asheville. According to highway officials a dump truck had hit a bridge on the highway, slowing down traffic in the eastbound lanes of I-26.

The truck accident occurred shortly before 11:00 p.m. Sunday night as the tractor trailer drove through Fletcher. As Mr. Velkov approached the Butler Bridge Road overpass he suddenly came up on the line of vehicles stopped for the earlier collision. The truck driver was allegedly going too fast and did not have enough time or space to avoid a collision, slamming into the last vehicle in the line.

The rear-end truck accident set off a deadly chain reaction with each vehicle crashing into the vehicle in front of them in the traffic lane. The force of the semi trailer truck reverberated through the line of vehicles causing a great amount of destruction.

One passenger car involved in the truck accident got wedged under Mr. Velkov’s semi trailer and was pulled across the median to the side of the westbound lanes of the interstate.

According to a spokesperson with the North Carolina Highway Patrol, a total of 7 passenger cars and 2 semi trucks, including Mr. Velkov’s rig, were involved in the truck accident.

Local police and emergency personnel rushed to the crash site and began to help the victims. Two cars appeared to take the greatest hit in the truck accident and the four people in those cars died from their injuries. They were identified as 22 year old Charles Novak of Hendersonville, NC and 23 year old Theresa Seaver of Asheville who were in a 2001 Ford Escape, and 60 year old Alvin Kimball and 55 year old Gail Kimball of Lexington, South Carolina.

Two other people sustained serious injuries in the truck accident. Laci Fredericks of Hendersonville was a passenger in a Dodge Magnum and Amber Reid was in a Kia when the chain reaction collision occurred. They each suffered unspecified injuries and were airlifted by medical helicopter to Mission Hospital in Asheville.

Sadly it was reported that Ms. Reid died in the hospital some time after the truck accident. As of Monday the other victim, Ms. Fredericks, was listed in critical condition.

About seven or eight other people received minor injuries in the truck accident and were treated at the scene. Some of the injured were taken to nearby Park Ridge Hospital for additional treatment.

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The deadly collision shut down a section of the interstate for hours while emergency teams helped the victims and to make a landing space for the medical helicopters. Once the victims were cared for, highway crews came in to begin removing the wreckage and debris of the truck accident. The closures remained in effect throughout the night. All lanes were finally open by 6:00 a.m. Monday morning.

On Tuesday highway crews were still repairing the guardrail along the interstate that was damaged in the truck accident.

Authorities investigating the truck accident arrested the driver of the semi trailer that set off the collision. They have not released the findings of their initial investigation and it is not known if they suspect drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash. A spokesperson with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said that the truck driver will likely be charged with five counts of Involuntary Manslaughter and one count of Assault Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury.

Additional charges are possible pending upon the completion of the truck accident investigation.

Gordon Elias & Seely, LLP recommend that if you know anyone who has been injured or killed as the result of a commercial truck accident involving a semi truck, 18 wheeler, big rig, tractor trailer or bus, tell them to immediately contact a qualified truck accident lawyer for advice. Often times the truck company and the truck driver will be from other states other than where the accident occurred. Truck accident attorneys often times have relationships with other experienced truck accident attorneys licensed in other states. Gordon, Elias & Seely LLP are licensed in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Washington, DC and have informal relationships with other truck accident lawyers. For more information, visit their North carolina truck accident lawyer page or call 800.773.6770.

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