Police said a woman drove her car into the back of a tractor-trailer after she lost control of the vehicle.
Tara Langley, 49, of Semora, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The tractor-trailer driver had pulled off to the side of the road due to an issue with their tires. https://www.wral.com/woman-dies-after-slamming-into-tractor-trailer-on-i-40-off-ramp-in-durham/19846209/
Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.
See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to be remembered, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com. Please use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form to provide us with accurate information . (Note: the map is currently not online; but we would keep the information for future updating and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)
Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.
Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.
Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.
I’m Tara Langley’s mom. I have been left heart broken. This is something that should be fixed now. My daughter is gone and I will never get her back. All that has be done with no hesitation is fix the problem. So other lives can be saved. So loved ones don’t have to go through this awful loss.
Shattered world. Broken hearts.
Such a tragedy to take a sweet life. Something should be done for better safety.
This is a great idea. So many people perish due to safety issues with trucks. It should be resolved.
I lost my Best friend, my soulmate 😭 my life is still in pieces and it’s been almost 2 years. The world was deprived of a loving, caring soul. I’ll never get over this loss.