A freak accident killed a University of North Texas student when an 18-wheeler ran off a freeway ramp and onto her car yesterday afternoon in Dallas, Texas. The driver of the rig was thrown from the cab and also died.

20-year-old Ashley Parra, a first semester student at UNT, was half a mile from her job when the truck jumped the ramp and crushed her car. Police believe the load of metal pipe stems in the semi's trailer shifted as the truck rounded the elevated ramp, causing the accident. Speed may have also been a factor.

As commerce grows and goods flow across the country, the number of semi trucks on the highways increase. As the numbers of trucks increases, so do the chances of being involved in an accident with one. Because these trucks are so big, weighing up to 80,000 pounds and up to 75 feet long, the accidents are more likely to lead to horrific injuries or death. The chances of involving numerous vehicles in accidents also increase.

Truck drivers often carry their loads from one side of the country to the other on highways we must share. But all too often, factors such as speed or driver fatigue lead to accidents involving 18-wheelers. In states with large shipping or commercial hubs, such as California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Florida, the numbers of large trucks on the road lead to higher incidents of accidents involving fatalities.

Statistics show that more accidents involving trucks happen in rural areas than they do in crowded urban areas. Twelve percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States were caused by truck accidents, but in 98% of those, the passengers or drivers of smaller vehicles were killed while the drivers of the trucks were either injured or unscathed.

If you have been injured, or lost a loved one, in a truck accident, please contact the Accident Lawyers Network to find an experienced lawyer in your area.