A 23-year-old Montana man died while traveling on a rural road in another part of the state.
Authorities who responded to the accident, which happened at the junction of a state and federal highway, said that the young man died because of blunt force trauma.
The accident happened because of an apparent equipment failure. A state trooper who responded to the accident said that another driver was using a heavy-duty Ford pickup truck to haul a flatbed trailer.
Even though there was no cargo on the flatbed, one of the trailer’s axles came of the trailer and flew into the victim’s windshield. The axle broke through the windshield and struck the victim as he was driving.
Drivers are responsible for maintaining their vehicles
While no less tragic than any other motor vehicle accident, this incident is a bit unusual in that the driver was, for all we know, not doing anything illegal or careless when his trailer axle broke.
However, Montana drivers are responsible for more than just operating carefully and following the rules of the road. They also have a responsibility to make sure that the vehicles, and any equipment those vehicles haul, are safe and secure.
There are also laws in place which any motorist in Montana must follow if he or she wants to haul a trailer. These laws are designed to allow people the freedom to tow trailers and to keep others on the road safe at the same time.
Not following these rules, or just not being careful with a trailer, can cause a serious or even fatal accident.
In short, a driver cannot use equipment failure as a reason to avoid financial responsibility for an accident. Victims of such accidents may still have legal options for recovering their losses.