Four people hospitalized after Florida truck accident

Two Florida police officers and two other people were injured following a traffic accident involving five vehicles. The accident reportedly occurred when a semi-truck slammed into the officers' patrol cars after being nudged by an SUV. A school bus was also hit in the accident, but no children were on board at the time.

Although the truck's driver was likely not primarily responsible for this accident, commercial haulers cause hundreds of serious accidents across Florida every year. Driver fatigue and aggressive behavior often cause tractor-trailers to collide with smaller vehicles and result in heavy damage, injuries and even death. Individuals hurt in an accident involving a large truck may be able to recover to damages compensating them for their injuries by filing personal injury lawsuits.

Police say the accident occurred as the two officers were sitting in their patrol cars, having responded to an earlier crash. An SUV entering the roadway struck the right front side of the tractor-trailer, causing its driver to lose control of the truck. The truck's driver reportedly tried to brake, but was boxed in by traffic and could not avoid colliding with the SUV, pushing it into the parked police cars. One police car and the SUV were slammed into a fence while the damaged truck came to rest in the roadway. The school bus, which also suffered damage in the accident, reportedly pulled to the side of the road immediately after the accident.

The two officers, the driver of the SUV and the bus driver were transported to medical facilities to receive treatment for non-threatening injuries. A fifth person was injured in a third accident on the roadway's southbound lanes that police saw was likely caused by drivers who were distracted by the truck crash on the northbound lanes. It is unclear whether any of the drivers have been charged or cited following the accident.

Source: Jacksonville.com, "5-vehicle crash involving Jacksonville police sends 4 to hospital, officials say," Dana Treen, Jan. 3, 2012