Truck Driver Didn’t Take All Reasonable Steps to Avoid Traffic Accident

A crash truck was positioned to protect workers cleaning up the scene of a traffic accident. It’s amber lights were flashing and it had an illuminated arrow directing drivers into the center lane. A truck driver slammed his tractor-trailer into the crash truck, injuring himself, the driver of the crash truck and two workers. The truck driver was charged with careless driving. He argued that the accident was the result of the removal of safety cones from the road behind the crash truck and that he’d exercised due diligence. But the court convicted him. It found that removal of the cones wasn’t a factor given that the crash truck had flashing lights and a large arrow sign. In addition, the court concluded that the truck driver didn’t take all reasonable steps to avoid the accident [R. v. Krzyzanowski, [2014] ONCJ 479 (CanLII), Sept. 12, 2014].