Douglas Tomlin was driving his tractor-trailer westbound on Missouri 116 when it lost control and jackknifed in the middle of the eastbound traffic lanes.  33 year-old Jonathon Willmon was driving another tractor-trailer eastbound on MO116 and had no where to go when Tomlin's truck crossed the center line of traffic.  Willmon, a young truck driver from Bonner Springs Kansas, was killed in this Plattsburg fatal truck accident.  Authorities blame weather and driver error for the cause of this fatal crash.  Both trucks lost a significant amount of engine, transmission, and brake fluid, which eventually ran off into the Little Platte River.  The Department of Natural Resources is planning to take river samples to determine if the area is now contaminated. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and Missouri state law require truck drivers to pull over in inclement weather conditions.  If truckers cannot immediately pull off into a truck stop or rest stop, they are required to greatly reduce speed to accommodate these conditions.  You occassionally will see truckers actually speed up in heavy rains or snows.  The common misconception is that the heavy weight of the truck provides better traction in these conditions.  What actually happens, especially in sleet, ice or snow, is that the heavy semi-trucks become more prone to jackknifing, as the trailer of the rig will "lock up" and slide out of alignment with the tractor, resulting in total loss of control and an imminent serious accident.

Contact the Plattsburg fatal truck crash attorneys at Schultz Legal Group by calling our toll-free emergency hot line at (866) 840-3636.  Evidence must be gathered at the scene and from the trucks themselves as soon as possible.  Playing the waiting game in a fatal truck accident injury claim only reduces what the surviving family members will recover down the line.  Don't be victimized twice.