Why Did a Dump Truck Crash into a Fayetteville Antique Store?
The Fayetteville Police Department is trying to determine why a dump truck crashed into a closed antiques business off of Highway 85 on July 15th.
Fayetteville Fire Chief Alan Jones said the call initially came in as a fire call, but upon arrival, firefighters found only smoke and dust from falling debris.
The crash happened around 10:15 a.m. at the Golden Days Antiques on Highway 85 in Fayetteville. Thankfully, there was no one inside the business when the crash happened, but investigators were shocked at the chain of events that landed the dump truck in the middle of the Fayetteville shop.
Dump Truck Takes Destructive Path to Antiques Store
Fire investigators think that the big truck careened off Highway 85, knocked down a utility pole, continued down an embankment wrecking shrubbery, traveled across the parking lot before crashing inside Golden Days Antiques. The dump truck finally stopping about 10 to 20 feet into the shop.
“I was amazed at what I saw,” Jesse Dozier told Channel 2.
Mr. Dozier is a member of the Joy City Church which shares the plaza with several businesses. He and other members of the congregation drove up right after the crash happened. They were so quick to the site that they were able to see the truck driver get loaded into an ambulance.
The driver had already made it out when the ambulance arrived, but he was taken to the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.
“Glad that it was closed, that’s the main thing,” Dozier said.
The owner of the Antique business did get a close look at the damage and said it will be some time before business will be able to return to normal.
The crash closed all of the stores in the strip shopping center. Police were concerned that the building would collapse or a fire would spark while the truck was being removed. The firefighters called in Clayton County’s Trench Rescue Team to help support the structure. Removing the truck took almost three hours.
Truck Driver Suffered a Medical Issue
Police say that a medical issue caused the dump truck driver to lose control of his truck. The 62-year-old driver wasn’t arrested but was charged with operating a commercial vehicle without a license and failure to maintain a lane, according to the Fayetteville Police Department. The driver wasn’t impaired and investigators determined that a medical issue caused the crash.
There may be more to this story, and if anyone was seriously injured in the crash, they may have a claim against the truck driver and his employer. A truck driver is prohibited from driving a commercial vehicle unless he or she is physically qualified to do so. The driver must have the perceptual skills to monitor some complex driving situations; the judgment skills to make quick decisions; along with the manipulative skills to control an oversize rig and maneuver it in crowded areas.
Typically, if the dump truck driver knew or should have known about their medical issue, he or she will be responsible for any injuries that resulted from an accident. Moreover, if the driver’s employer was aware of the driver’s medical issue and required him or her to drive, the company may also be liable for the accident.
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