Failure to secure a load in Essex County, Massachusetts can carry a stiff fine. The law requires drivers to ensure that their load is secured in such a way as to prevent it from shifting, dropping or escaping from the vehicle. When this law is not heeded, not only can it create litter on the road, it can also create a potential hazard for other drivers.
This was the case when a dump truck evidently failed to secure its load before traveling south on I-95 near the Burlington-Lexington line. A mattress was lost from the truck as it traveled along the freeway. The mattress apparently hit the car of a 56-year-old Framingham woman.
The dump truck evidently did not stop after losing the mattress, because authorities are still looking for it and its driver. The truck is described as having a white cab with a dark-colored bed. It is said to have been carrying other mattresses as well.
State troopers and the Burlington Fire Department responded to the scene and transported the woman to a local hospital. The woman died later from injuries sustained in the crash.
This whole truck accident could have been avoided had the mattress been securely fastened to the truck. Although authorities are still investigating the incident and continue to look for the driver of the dump truck, the family of the woman killed in this accident may wish to speak with a personal injury attorney. A lawyer may be able to advise them on their right to compensation for the death of their loved one.
Source: Burlington Patch, “Woman Injured in Accident Caused by Mattress on Route 128 Has Died,” Ryan Grannan-Doll, Jan. 28, 2014