Truck driver charged with manslaughter while parked on entrance ramp?
 

I have not posted here in a while but this story might make you think twice before you stop on an entrance ramp.

I did not think if you were pulled over on an entrance ramp and a car crashes into you, you could face manslaughter charges.


1 dead in car-semi crash

HARMONY TWP., Clark County — A Columbus man was killed Sunday, March 21, when the vehicle he was driving struck the back of a semi-tractor trailer on Interstate 70 near Harmony.

Thomas Callaway, 39, was entering the eastbound ramp onto the highway from U.S. 40, near mile-marker 62, when his car ran into the back of the semi, which was stopped on the entrance ramp, said Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Vee Witcher Jr.

The driver of the semi, Senad Basic, 49, of Vermont told troopers he had been traveling eastbound on I-70 when he struck a bird.

He said he pulled over onto the entrance ramp to check for damage to his truck.

As Callaway’s vehicle merged onto the highway, it struck the back of the semi and burst into flames. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Basic, who was not injured, was cited for prohibitions from parking on highways and vehicular manslaughter.

He voluntarily submitted to both blood and urine samples with results pending.

The accident is still under investigation.

By Kelly Mori, Staff Writer

What a crockof shizt, another case of "it's somebody else's fault"

BTW Who is John Gault

Young Hawk! Where have you been hiding?? Are you still in that LTC truck??

The short answer is, any cop at anytime can charge you with any crime for any reason and any cop that subscribes to that logic won't be a cop for long.

As far as Senad is concerned, if the cop's right and a man died because Senad was breaking the law, namely "parking on highways", there is a plausible connection. Causing an accident resulting in death isn't in and of itself a crime. Driving under the inluence (breaking the law) and causing an accident resulting in death is a crime. You see the difference? There really isn't enough info in the article for me to form an opinion.

Exactly CD, the article doesn't give a lot of detail, probably because the police haven't released anymore than what you see in the article. Who's to say the truck wasn't sitting there parked for several hours while the driver caught some shut eye and he used the excuse that he had just stopped because he hit a bird and was checking damage? It doesn't say if damage or evidence of a bird strike was or was not found.

I was thinking more along the lines of whether or not it was dark and if he was on the shoulder. If he (Senad) was right of the fog line, I'd say the cop is a little trigger happy. The shoulder is there for emergencies and if Senad's story is legit, it's too bad for Thom. If Senad was all or partially in the roadway, Thom's heirs will, one day, find millions of ways to help ease the pain of their loss.

Take a look at the ramp . .

harmony township, oh - Google Maps

The only way to get on 70 EB is via the nuclear accelerator. Thom and anyone else would be blind to what lies ahead. If I were the cop and considering the possibility that Thom may share some responsibility, I would not have added to the trauma Senad must have been feeling. Both charges or any charges could just as well have been filed at a later time.

I've never understood why anyone would park on the side of the road. I understand you run out of hours, but surely they will give ya some slack for trying to find a good place to park. Every so often, I'll come up on somebody that's parked on a wide spot on the side of the road. What if someone would be coming along and half asleep, and nail that truck? I think it's dangerous when drivers park on the side of the road. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

Hello Orangetxguy....Yes I am. I was just in Orange, Tx not too long ago. I am still yanking my tank:)

Jack, we had several crashes a couple years ago here because of trucks parked on the shoulder of the Interstate itself. The one, it was 2 trucks pulled over and both drivers tried to BS the cops. Their logs told a different story and they got charged for the incident instead of the trucker that hit them. Logs showed they were out of hours and were asleep, one of them finally fessed up to the truth.

Its always been my thought if you are parked on the side of the road and someone hits you it should be their fault!! Why was that person driving fast enough to get killed on the shoulder of the road??? Why should we always make someone else responsible for what we do?
In the old days we slept on the side of the road, do I do it now, NO! Reason being I have to take the blame for an idiot killing themselves because they cant stay in the lane on the hwy...lol
The shoulder of the road is for emergency stopping, and if someone hits you there its their own fault!!! Let them DIE!!!
Lets say a truck driver is on the shoulder of the road for some reason, and another truck driver runs into the back of him, hell the cops would be chasing their tails trying to blame someone, there both drivers so how would they make this one sound good for the media...lol...lol