Hoosier trucker acquitted in deadly crash

[jane miller]

We all take risks everyday on the roads when we drive. A 78 year old driver with no glasses, driving a bus filled with young lives that should never had been put into that position? Where is the responsibility of the school system that made these life altering decisions? There is culpability for all in this sad case.

[Mr Obvious]

riiiiiiiiight wrote:

My son was not in the wrong," he said. "It was just an unfortunate series of events."
He had no license, didnt report his jacknifed trailer or put out flares to warn others on the road-sure sounds like he did SOMETHING wrong. And to blame the driver of the bus for not being able to see his trailer in the dark is beyond me. The prosecuter f.u.kked this one up horribly!!! Five people are dead because of Mr Kozlowski-may that sit on his conscience forever!!!!!!!!

Mom,

Loosing control of a truck and flipping it on the highway is negligent. You will understand this better during the Civil Lawsuits.

3 words you and your boy will get to know soon:

"Preponderance of Evidence"

[Typical]

get a life wrote:

first of all the evidence is right there. the truck was going 70 miles an hour. the speed limit is not 70 for any "truck". second of all, did i read that information correctly when it said it was not the truck drivers fault he was just trying to pull over to go to the bathroom. did that mean at a truck stop or did that mean on the highway, well guess what that is another charge. they don't let me just stop my car on the side of the road to pee. whatever, the trucker was speeding and he was 100% at fault. since he got off with whatever kind of idiots you put on that jury then my guess is that he will pay for all the injuries he "did" cause. truck drivers are very careless and they travel in the 3rd lane on the interstates and should not be there. he is guilty.

seriously wrote:

Sounds to me like this truck driver made a decision to go out and get ripped the night before, and b/c of a shred of doubt placed in the jurors' heads regarding the ability of the bus driver to avoid a semi moving 70-mph across 2 lanes, he gets off. Come on, did the jury really believe he was moving too fast while trying to pull off the side of the road to take a leak? If he fell asleep, he fell asleep, and there was obviously no intentional wrongdoing (save the decision to go out the night before and drive hungover); but for the sleeze-ball lawyer to say with a straight face that he was moving too fast while attempting to pull off the side of the road to relieve himself is a joke!

Sounds like you two are hillbilly morons. IF alcohol was a cause in in this case where are the test results?
Don't most long distance trucks have port-a-potties installed? A 78 year old man not wearing glasses he is required to wear while driving puts him at fault as well. This is a very sad situation, but accidents happen.

[Anonymous]

Glad he was acquitted. I followed the trial via live webstream and while, yes, the driver may have done some dumb stuff like try to pull off the road too fast. But I think the real issue was the 78 year old bus driver, who was driving in the middle of the night, without his glasses which were required, who had cataracts and who had been up for 19 hours....

[Cpetr13]

Actually, the traffic on most highways goes about 70 or faster regardless of what the signs say. And driving slower than the pack is just as dangerous as speeding.

Many truck drivers have means to going to the john without stepping out into public view--ever hear of a "motorman's friend?" And you are supposed ot pull over when you are doing something that will make your driving unsafe--didn't you learn that in driver's ed?

You seem complete oblivious to the bus driver's actions, which certainly contributed to if not created the injuries and death. First of all, you are supposed to be driving far enough away from the vehicle in front of you to be able to stop when necessary. Secondly, if you are supposed to wear glasses--WEAR THEM! Thirdly, if this occurred when it was so dark it was hard to see, then he should have been even more cautious in his driving. I also wonder about his ability to see in low light--night blindness is a common condition after even the age of 50.

And he is NOT guilty--that is how our laws work.

get a life wrote:

first of all the evidence is right there. the truck was going 70 miles an hour. the speed limit is not 70 for any "truck". second of all, did i read that information correctly when it said it was not the truck drivers fault he was just trying to pull over to go to the bathroom. did that mean at a truck stop or did that mean on the highway, well guess what that is another charge. they don't let me just stop my car on the side of the road to pee. whatever, the trucker was speeding and he was 100% at fault. since he got off with whatever kind of idiots you put on that jury then my guess is that he will pay for all the injuries he "did" cause. truck drivers are very careless and they travel in the 3rd lane on the interstates and should not be there. he is guilty.

[dont eat yellow snow]

unbelievable wrote:

<quoted text>
Article does not say the truck driver did not have a license...
Only reference to license was that the bus driver didn't have his glasses on as required on HIS license.
Person driving a commercial vehicle without a CDL would definitely have been convicted.
I am guessing you are one of those people driving the highways thinking a big truck handles like a car. Wake up - if you don't like all the big trucks on the road, start asking why all the railroad tracks have been ripped up. Since product cannot be shipped by rail, freight is moved on the highways.
Deal with it, or move out of the way!

Kozlowski, who was driving with a suspended driver's license.

Although Kozlowski's driver's
license was suspended at the time of the crash because of a traffic ticket, the judge in the case ruled before the trial that jurors would not be allowed to hear about the suspension.

Kozlowski had told investigators that he was pulling over to the side of the interstate to urinate when his truck and trailer jackknifed. But investigators testified the semi was going nearly 70 miles an hour with its cruise control on when it crashed.

[InterstateDriver]

I bet semi drivers have been responsible for more American deaths than al quaida in the last 5 years.

[dont eat yellow snow]

Anonymous wrote:

This is an accident, the bus driver should not have missed a Tractor Trailer even on it's side it is over 6 feet tall even at night your headlights can see something like that. The civil trials should be tossed, let this honest working man go back to work. I'm sure he's making barely enough to support his family... if the civil trials go through and he loses he mind as well call himself homeless.

Kozlowski's truck was going about 70 mph when it drifted to the shoulder. When he tried to swerve back onto the road, the truck tipped over, blocking both lanes. The bus hit it.

Kinda hard to miss something that is blocking both lanes.

[Anonymous]

Oh yeah, not to mention that the bus had faulty brakes. This case should have NEVER gone to trial.

[Seriously-]

Typical wrote:

<quoted text>
<quoted text>
Sounds like you two are hillbilly morons. IF alcohol was a cause in in this case where are the test results?
Don't most long distance trucks have port-a-potties installed? A 78 year old man not wearing glasses he is required to wear while driving puts him at fault as well. This is a very sad situation, but accidents happen.

Hillbilly morons, huh? If you would have read and comprehended my post, you would have picked up on the fact that my only beef was that he was tired due to a night of drinking...not that he was intoxicated at the time of the crash. And whether or not he had a toilet in the cab, that doesn't mean he can just pull over wherever he wants along a highway...that's what exits and rest areas are for...moron.

[Cpetr13]

The jury didn't hear about the suspension because it was not germane to the fats of this case. He didn't wreck because he had a ticket.

dont eat yellow snow wrote:

<quoted text>Kozlowski, who was driving with a suspended driver's license.
Although Kozlowski's driver's
license was suspended at the time of the crash because of a traffic ticket, the judge in the case ruled before the trial that jurors would not be allowed to hear about the suspension.
Kozlowski had told investigators that he was pulling over to the side of the interstate to urinate when his truck and trailer jackknifed. But investigators testified the semi was going nearly 70 miles an hour with its cruise control on when it crashed.

[Cpetr13]

How does someone DRIFT at 70mph?

I'm sure it is hard to miss if you are not wearing your glasses and can't see what you are doing.

dont eat yellow snow wrote:

<quoted text>Kozlowski's truck was going about 70 mph when it drifted to the shoulder. When he tried to swerve back onto the road, the truck tipped over, blocking both lanes. The bus hit it.
Kinda hard to miss something that is blocking both lanes.

[DAZ]

Accidents happen. That's why they are called accidents. Sure, events leading up to the accident could have been altered and thus resulting in a different outcome. The driver of the truck could sue the owner of the grocery chain that ordered the food. The owner of the grocery chain could sue people who eat food. All absurd. Life is a random event that exists in chaos. Human nature does not accept randomness, we continually strive to give meaning to life by trying to develop order for it. We strive for control, but sometimes we lose control and thus we have termed the word accident.

[Trouble]

More people die on the American roads each year than in War...more education and requirements are needed to insure their are no more inadequete or reckless driving...These requirements should be especially strict when it comes to Bus Drivers and Semi Truck Drivers...many of whom are vastly under-educated to begin with...no glasses...and 70 MPH with a full load...MPH restrictions for semis should also be looked into...

[Bearhead]

Driving 70 miles an hour...and was out drinking the night before? What was the jury thinking?

[Cpetr13]

Drinking the night before--and it doesn't say he drank a lot--has nothing to do with driving performance once the alcohol is out of the system. I don't' recall them charging him with DWI.

If you think 70mph is unusual on the highway, you don't go on the highway.

Bearhead wrote:

Driving 70 miles an hour...and was out drinking the night before? What was the jury thinking?

[Cheryl Ann]

Five more people bite the dust at the hands of a negligent trucker.

One more trucker gets off and gets to keep his life as well as his license.

'Nuff said.

[inky 1969]

The semi-trucks out here DRIVE TOO FAST!!!! Slow them down to 55 mph! Those trucks are too heavy to be traveling at that rate of speed!!!

Get a clue people!

[HAHA]

what a joke wrote:

this idiot should have his license suspended for life and be rotting in jail...the 'blame the vicitim' defense is a bunch of BS.

you aren't the final authority in anything, its the law that won, that's what this country is based upon.. NOT GUITLY unless you can prove it. and apparently they didn't.

[SoapBox Derby]

Dear Interstate Driver (and any others who are interested)...I do know that, statistically, MOST accidents involving semi-trucks are the fault of an automobile (and its driver). I don't know the statistics comparing accidents and al-Qaida deaths. Now...what's your point?