74-year-old Gary Sawyer of Springfield Killed By Semi-Truck
Gary Sawyer, of Springfield, has died after a crash with a semi-truck Saturday morning.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the crash happened around 4:20 a.m. when a 2011 Peterbilt semi-truck going east attempted to make a U-turn on James River Freeway, and his truck became disabled, blocking the westbound lanes when a 2018 Ford Taurus hit the passenger side of the towed unit of the semi.
Gary Sawyer, 74, was pronounced dead at the scene after the crash, which occurred at about 4:22 a.m. near Republic on Highway 360 (which turns into James River Freeway once you enter Springfield), according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The crash happened on James River near the I-44 exits.
The report says a semi-trailer was attempting to make U-turn when it became disabled, blocking the roadway. Sawyer, who was westbound on the highway, struck the towed unit of the semi. Sawyer was listed as wearing his seat belt. The highway patrol’s Troop D, which covers the southwestern part of the state, has responded to nine traffic fatalities in 2023.
There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for this tragic death in our community.
By David Ransin
Besides being illegal, U-turns are prohibited by all motor carriers. Truck drivers know how dangerous U-turns are to the general public.
Tractor trailers require at least 15 or more seconds to make a U-turn, which places oncoming traffic more than a quarter mile away when the turn begins.
This means the headlights and warning lights of the tractor are pointed away from the oncoming traffic, often making the trailer nearly invisible.
Even when some of the reflectors or visibility tape on the trailer can be seen, it presents an extremely unusual and confusing situation for the innocent driver. By the time the other driver realizes the problem it is too late and they slide underneath the trailer because side underride guards are not required in the United States.
The technology has existed for a long time to prevent these deaths and are required in many countries around the world but not here. There are likely to be deeper sources of the cause of this preventable death beyond the senseless U-turn by the truck driver.
The motor carrier, commonly called the trucking company, owes the legal duty to make sure that its driver is properly trained, supervised and given adequate route planning so they don’t get lost and make a stupid move like a U-turn
This tragedy easily could have been prevented If the trucking company and driver had simply followed proper industry standards. My thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Sawyer’s family and loved ones.
Tractor Trailer Crashes Must Be Investigated Immediately
The insurance company for the trucking company will have investigators on the site within an hour or 2 and sometimes sooner. Often crucial evidence will disappear. The more serious the crash, the more intense the investigation must be in order to hold the liable parties responsible. To learn more about semi-truck accident investigation please click here.