Tanker’s explosive crash video is sobering reminder of trucker health concerns
A dash cam video showing a close-up view of an explosive tanker crash is circulating the internet as a reminder about the importance of truck driver health.
In the video, a tanker truck is traveling on Highway 401 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada in the summer of 2023 when the driver appears to experience a medical emergency or to fall asleep, sending the tanker truck veering across multiple lanes of traffic before crashing into the barrier wall on the left side. The accident killed the tanker driver and another trucker on the opposite side of the highway. A car also caught fire in the accident. Both people inside of the car survived.
The video serves as a sobering, tragic reminder about the importance of taking care of yourself as a truck driver, and of getting enough sleep.
“Drivers crashed due to a medical condition (ie heart attack, stroke, etc). Hence, it’s important to get checked out regularly for this stuff (ie getting your med card updated),” commented one trucker.
“I think it proves the Folly of the medical card. Like many rules and regulations in the trucking industry, they are there to make the public feel that the government is doing something. In real life, you can have a DOT physical today and die tomorrow charging down the road at 70mph. Look at the three and 400 lb people operating commercial motor vehicles today. They all have a DOT medical card,” added another.
“Drivers remember getting home is what makes the job worth it,” wrote a third.
RIP to this driver. And take care of yourselves out there.
Watch the video below.