December 15, 2017

On November 7, 2017, a man driving a pickup fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into the rear of a semi truck near Flintstone, Maryland in a rural area of Allegany County. According to CBS affiliate WUSA Channel 9 News, he suffered only minor injuries, even after first responders were forced to cut him out of his vehicle using the jaws of life. Many news outlets would not even report on an accident involving such negligible injures, but this incident is noteworthy: It highlights an increase in the number of underride auto accidents in Maryland, which are among the most devastating types of crashes involving large trucks.

An underride collision occurs when a passenger vehicle slides underneath a tractor trailer being hauled by a semi truck. Catastrophic injuries and fatalities are common and, in many cases, the individuals are decapitated by the impact. Despite regulations on required safety equipment for semis, underride accidents remain a serious threat to Maryland motorists.