Bobtail Crashes Into Driver Ed Car In Goshen, NY And 3 Kids Were Killed (Earlier This Week)

I just finished reading about this in several media sources online. The word is, the bobtail was at a flashing yellow at an intersection, and the Drivers Ed car was at a stop sign that also had a red signal. The stories said that the bobtail broadsided the car at the driver's side rear door. The 3 kids in the back were injured, 1 of them died at the scene, 1 at the hospital, and the third just died of his injuries. Who's at fault here? What impact do you veteran truckers think, this will have on truckers in general?

Trucker is at fault, or at least that will be the general consensus. Flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution, so I'm guessing the argument will be he should have been aware that there was a driver's ed car that could have posed a possible hazard and he should have made sure he could either stop or avoid a collision under any scenario that might have arisen. Also, if there are any discrepancies in his logs, they will be able to say he was running illegally and that he wouldn't have even been at that intersection if he were legal.

That being said, my question is why were 3 kids riding in the backseat of a driver's ed car? Also, doesn't the instructor have his own foot brake? Shouldn't he have been aware of the approaching traffic and at least told the driver to wait if not stopped the car himself?

This is a tragedy any way that you look at it, and I'm sure both drivers feel terrible about it. It's a shame someone else's life is probably also going to be ruined now because of it.

I just finished reading about this in several media sources online. The word is, the bobtail was at a flashing yellow at an intersection, and the Drivers Ed car was at a stop sign that also had a red signal. The stories said that the bobtail broadsided the car at the driver's side rear door. The 3 kids in the back were injured, 1 of them died at the scene, 1 at the hospital, and the third just died of his injuries. Who's at fault here? What impact do you veteran truckers think, this will have on truckers in general?

Please provide a link for this, so we have the info.

Here's the link

Bobtail Crash

@ Jetguy - Scott M

I agree with you about 3 kids being in the rear seat. The driver was also a kid (16-year-old girl). The instructor may have some liability here as well. I wasn't aware that more than 1 person could be taught/allowed in a Drivers Ed car at one time. And the issue about the trucker's logbook didn't occur to me until you mentioned it. Jeez. So many lives ruined. 3 families lost their child. The trucker may lose his career and his license. The girl may be forever traumatized (she lived). And the instructor may be terminated and sued.

At the end of the day the blame will more than likely fall on the trucker for the simple reason being that he has a commercial drivers license and is considered a professional driver!

UPDATE: Despite reporting that a third teenager, Lucas O'Connor, was killed in the car crash Wednesday night, Goshen School Superintendent Daniel Connor said Thursday that he may have been given incorrect information and is unable to confirm the boy's status.

Well, that's better news. I hope the kid makes it.

That's a sad story, however, if the trucker had the yellow flashing light and the student driver had a red stop flashing light, there's not much you can do if a car pulls out in front of you. Here's a video link to the same type of situation, but with a better ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFy-Kk6xm-w Now, it may be how the video is filmed, but it does kinda seem like the camera car and truck are going exceptionally fast.

At what point do other drivers have to take responsibility for their own driving actions? Sounds like truckers get the short end of the stick in many accidents that may not me solely their fault just because they are considered a "professional" driver. Plus their lively hood depends on driving to support their families and pay bills. This is one of the things that scares me. There's SO much that can happen on a highway.

Are any of these dash cam videos from trucks put in by trucking companies for safety, or do drivers install them themselves as a form of protection from situations that can occur?