Driving close to trucks can be nerve-wracking for many drivers of smaller vehicles. Their height can block our view and confuse our sense of depth perception. When two trucks surround a smaller car on the highway, they can create wind tunnels. Knowing that a large 18-wheeler may not be able to brake as quickly as a smaller car may keep us extra vigilant when driving in front of them, and when we lag behind them, we may worry about being in their blind spot.Yet none of these situations is as scary as being tailgated closely by a truck driver. One woman in the Tampa area recently filmed such an incident. The video, which has been circulating as a popular recent local news story shared widely over social media, has been dubbed an example of "instant karma" by some viewers. While filming while driving is obviously not advisable, this woman was clearly worried an accident might happen. She allegedly was unable to change lanes due to slick, rainy roads and the presence of other trucks to the right, so she felt she had no choice but to hold the phone up to record while driving. And in the end, that video evidence was critical to the police investigation.As the video is being recorded, the woman cuts periodically to her speedometer to show that the truck driver is pushing her to accelerate by his increasingly dangerous tailgating. Finally he passes her, gazing at her instead of the road while making an obscene gesture at her. Immediately after his imagined moment of triumph, the driver careens across a median into incoming traffic. After crashing down a light pole, he reportedly fled the scene of the accident. No one was harmed.According to a release from the Florida Highway Patrol, this witness video helped lead to the identification of the bird-flipping truck driver. He was charged for leaving the scene of a traffic accident, careless driving and neglecting to wear his seat belt. Although the only injury in this particular case was most likely to the driver's ego, this is an example of aggressive driving that can cause serious truck accident injuries in Florida. Many Hillsborough County residents injured in accidents with aggressive truck drivers seek help from personal injury attorneys. They deserve compensation for their damages such as pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses or permanent disabilities. Source: Huffington Post, "Florida Man Unleashes Road Rage, Universe Responds Appropriately" Ryan Grenoble, Mar. 27, 2014
top of page
bottom of page