Highway Accident Report
| Accident No.: | HWY-98-SH-021 |
| Accident Type: | Head-on collision |
| Location: | Pollocksville, North Carolina |
| Date and Time: | March 3, 1998; 1:00 p.m. |
| Vehicle 1 (V1): | 1989 Ford dump truck, empty |
| Vehicle 2 (V2): | 1984 International tractor-semitrailer, empty |
| Fatalities: | 2 fatalities |
Accident Description
The dump truck driver crossed the centerline of U.S. Highway 17, a two-lane roadway, and struck the tractor-semitrailer head on. (See figure 1.) A witness stated that the dump truck driver moved over the centerline to avoid rear-ending a left-turning vehicle in front of it. Both trucks were destroyed, and both drivers were killed.
State/Federal Oversight
North Carolina adopted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations with some variances; none of the variances were pertinent to the carrier or driver at the time of the accident.
Figure 1. Accident diagram.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the dump truck driver to stay in his travel lane.
Adopted: September 17, 2002
