The Missouri State Highway Patrol continues its search for a rogue trucker that cut off a small Ford pickup truck on Interstate 44 later Tuesday afternoon, resulting in a fatal accident.  Witnesses claim that a white tractor-trailer made an improper lane change on westbound Interstate 44 near the Lewis Road exit.  The small pickup truck was forced off the highway, killing one of the passengers and sending the driver of the pickup to St. John's Medical Center in Creve Coeur for emergency treatment.  To protect the privacy of the family of the deceased, the victim's name has not yet been released.  Witnesses with any information on the tractor-trailer that fled the scene are asked to contact Sgt. Al Nothum with the Missouri State Highway Patrol

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations categorizes improper lane changes as a serious safety violation, and for good reason.  We have all been witness to a tractor-trailer veering into the lane of another vehicle.  Sometimes the smaller vehicle can slam on its brakes to avoid a collision, other times the car is forced off the highway and even into oncoming traffic.  These types of situations often result in serious injuries or fatalities, which is precisely what happened in Eureka on Tuesday.  Our Missouri tractor-trailer accident lawyers always urge the public to remain extremely cautious around large semi-trucks, and just assume that they don't see you in their side-mirrors. 

If you witness a hit and run truck crash, or any other type of erratic behavior by a truck driver, you are urged to make a mental impression of the tractor-trailer to relay to authorities.  Also note that each truck has a unique 6-digit DOT number on the side of the cab, which can be used later to identify the trucking company and driver.