Distracted trucker accidently shoots himself

We have heard of North Carolina truck drivers who have done dangerous things that they shouldn’t while they are behind the wheels of their big rigs. Some truckers have caused accidents while being distracted by their phone (texting, email, etc.) and some by the GPS system on their truck’s dashboard. Others have had their focus diverted by food and drink, conversations, the radio and the like.

A recent news media article highlighted another form of distracted driving, however, when a big rig driver admitted that he had accidently shot himself while rolling down an interstate highway.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety said the man was driving on Interstate 10 at the time. He was able to pull off of the interstate and was then taken to a hospital, law enforcement officials said.

He apparently initially told police investigators that he was a shooting victim, but soon changed that story and admitted that he had inadvertently shot himself, the news report states. There were no details on how the accident occurred or why he was handling a gun while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that more and more people are dying each year because of motor vehicle crashes caused by distracted drivers. More than 3,700 people died across the nation in 2015 in distracted driving accidents and more than 390,000 were injured.

If you have been injured in a Charlotte crash caused by a distracted driver, you can contact a law firm experienced in personal injury litigation.