Semi Strikes and Kills Person in Interstate 57
MATTESON, IL- The chicago.suntimes.com writes that an individual was killed on Interstate 57 on Tuesday night, November27, 2018,close to Matteson. The victim was one of four juveniles who attempted to run across I-57 a little after 7:30 p.m.*
A semi-truck that was traveling south hit the boy, who was declared dead at the scene of the crash. Reports did not indicate the age of thevictim.
The death was ruled an accident.
Pedestrian deaths in the United States reached close to 6,000 in 2017 and in 2016 as well. The numbers are the highest the country has experienced in decades. There have been various theories on the rising traffic-related death toll. At least part of the issue is likely the rise in traffic due to the better economy and to lower gas prices. However, there are many other theories as well.Some people postulate that pedestrians share in the blame because there are people who are walking while looking at their cellphones. Another possibility is that the size of theaverage passenger vehicle in the United States has increased. Larger vehicles are more likely to cause substantial injuries or deathwhen they strike pedestrians.
Of course, trucks are even largerand more dangerous to pedestrians. These vehicles also take a lot longer to come to a complete stop than other vehicles and are more difficult to maneuver than smaller vehicles. This makes it more difficult for drivers to avoid being involved in crashes.
There is a growing change in the way that traffic deaths are viewed in the United States. More and more places are implementing Vision Zero programs which work under the philosophy that no traffic-related fatalities are unavoidable and that better-designed roads, better laws, and better law enforcement can prevent fatal accidents.
