According to authorities, the truck driver involved in a recent fatal truck accident will not face criminal charges for his part in the incident. The man had allegedly struck a road sign while traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, ultimately sending it flying into the car of a 31-year-old Norristown woman, who perished from her injuries caused in the truck accident. The truck driver was purportedly cited for two traffic violations but authorities do not believe the man to have engaged in any sort of reckless driving. Whether he was negligent is another question.

The Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney claimed that there was no evidence that the truck driver was impaired by alcohol, fatigue or other similar distractions. He went on to say that he believed this to be just a tragic accident. Unfortunately, that truck accident resulted in the horrific death of a young woman.

She had reportedly been heading west through East Cocalico on the Pennsylvania Turnpike around 12:40 p.m. The road sign struck by the truck slammed through her windshield, hitting her in the head. Her vehicle then struck both another vehicle and a concrete barrier before careening to a stop in a ditch. This accident means that her family's lives have now been irrevocably changed and hers has been brought to a tragic and horrific end.

While the man will reportedly not face criminal charges regarding the truck accident, that doesn't mean he won't face potential civil action from the woman's relatives in the form of a wrongful death action. What isn't clear is whether her family will elect to pursue civil remedies against the truck driver and perhaps any company for which he was working. However, the issue of whether the truck driver was negligent in a manner that caused or contributed to the victim's death is one that will likely be determined by a jury, should the family decide to press claims for accountability and monetary damages.

Source: Norristown, PA Patch, "Truck Driver Won't Be Charged in Crash That Killed Norristown Woman," James Myers, June 6, 2012