Vehicular safety is always a big concern. Driving over the speed limit can be deadly. The 55 mph limit is imposed because at faster speeds, a driver would have a hard time controlling a vehicle. Additionally, when an accident happens at those speeds, the driver has a slim chance of surviving, even with a modern car’s safety features. Worse, besides the car passengers, bystanders and passengers in other cars are also at risk.

Just recently, there have been instances when car accidents have led to several deaths. A truck driver was involved in a crash on Interstate 70. The accident resulted in the death of four. It is not only in the U.S.A. that accidents like this happen. A similar accident also happened in Australia, which resulted in the death of a worker.

Accident in Australia

The accident in Australia occurred on Sydney’s M4 motorway. It involved a truck that experienced a mechanical problem. The driver decided to change lanes, which resulted in a multi-vehicle pileup. The dangerous driving incident resulted in unexpected braking and disruption of traffic. The casualty was a tradesman who died when a truck carrying beer kegs struck his car. He died on the scene.

The truck driver who allegedly caused the accident drove his vehicle away from the scene without rendering assistance. There was no visible damage to the vehicle. The driver was not allowed to post bail.

Multi-car Accidents

The accident in Colorado followed almost exactly the same script, up to the point where the truck’s cargo of lumber ignited with the spilled gasoline from the other vehicles. The driver tried to change lanes because he lost brakes. But he did not follow the “runaway truck ramp” signs that were meant to be used to stop large vehicles in an emergency. While maneuvering at high speed toward the rightmost lane, the driver found his path blocked by another truck. The driver swerved back into traffic because he was afraid of rolling his vehicle.

From the videos gathered from vehicles at the scene, the truck was trailing fluid as it neared the exit. The traffic accident caused a fire from the various vehicle’s spilled fuel. Four people died at the scene as they were burned in their vehicles. Another six people were taken to the hospital with major injuries. After the initial hearing, bail was set at $400,000.

Setting Bail

Although the accidents occurred in different countries with different driving conditions, the major difference between the accidents was that the Australian driver drove away from the accident. The judged deemed this behavior improper and did not set any bail. The driver would be spending time in jail while awaiting trial. Although the Colorado incident was worse in terms of casualties and damage to property, bail was set because the evidence showed that the vehicle was in trouble and it seemed that the accident as it occurred was unavoidable.

If these accidents had occurred in Salisbury, North Carolina, bail bonds would have been required by the court for the temporary release of the defendant. The amount of bail is always at the discretion of the judge. It depends on the severity of the case.