Whenever a car and truck collide, the chance that a passenger in the car will sustain a serious injury increases. Because the average weight of a commercial truck is over 25 times greater than most cars, the injuries caused by the impact often lead to death.

Earlier this month a fatal auto accident involving a car and truck occurred in Lower Salford, Pennsylvania. The early morning accident on the turnpike resulted in the closure of a portion of the Northeast Extension for almost nine hours while victims were attended to and the accident was cleared.

The accident actually consisted of two collisions. They both occurred between the exits for Quakertown and Landsdale around milepost A31.5. The first collision was a result of a 2007 Nissan Sentra rear-ending a tanker truck. The 1992 Peterbilt tractor-trailer was apparently driving northbound in front of the Nissan in the right lane when it was hit. Before landing in the left lane, the Nissan spun around in a counter-clockwise direction. When it stopped it was facing south and had sustained major damage.

Though not confirmed, based on the scene, the tanker truck may have hit the back of the third car involved, a white Chevrolet sedan.

One person was reportedly killed as a result of the first crash. Between the two collisions, three other individuals were injured. One person broke a leg. The extent of the other injuries is unknown but helicopters were ready to transport the injured to a hospital for treatment.

As is common in car accidents, speed appears to have been a factor. The state police indicated that the Nissan was going fast at the time it hit the tanker truck.

Source: The Times Herald, “One killed in L. Salford crash; turnpike reopened,” Bradley Schlegel, Sept. 3, 2011