A tragic accident Monday morning at the DeKalb County Transfer Station on Transfer Station Road, next to the DeKalb Animal Shelter, has claimed the life of a beloved long-time DeKalb County employee. The accident highlights the need to be cautious around high-profile commercial vehicles, where sight lines may be obscured.
Authorities say that 69-year-old Alvin Armour was killed Monday morning after being run over by one of the county’s solid waste vehicles. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Amour had been driving his own garbage truck and had unloaded a load when he parked at the side of the facility. As Amour parked, two other trucks entered the facility to unload.
The two trucks were stopped next to Armour’s vehicle when Armour attempted to walk in front of the second truck towards the building. As he did, the first truck pulled forward, and the second truck, driven by 52-year-old Thomas Bowen of Murfreesboro, not seeing Armour due to the height of the front of the truck, also pulled forward. Armour died at the scene.
Members of DeKalb EMS, Smithville Police, and Smithville Fire Department responded to the scene, in addition to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
“This was a tragic accident,” said County Mayor Matt Adcock. “My thoughts and prayers go out to Alvin’s family. He was a long-term employee and long-term friend. We all lost a friend today and our hearts are heavy.”
Accidents involving semis are common due to blind spots with the vehicles. Due to their height and large frames, semi-trucks have several different blind spots make it hard to see other vehicles and pedestrians.
From side mirrors all the way to the back of the semi-truck is a large blind spot for semi-trucks. Therefore, if you are walking beside a truck, you are most likely not visible to the driver.
There is also a large blind spot that extends up to 30 feet or more at the rear of a truck, making it very difficult for truck drivers to see pedestrians behind them. The rule of thumb is that if you cannot directly look into the semi-truck’s mirror and see the driver from where you are standing, they are unable to clearly see you as well.
The front of the truck has a slightly smaller blind spot than the rear, but it can still extend up to 20 or more feet. Therefore, if you walk out in front of a semi-truck and are in this blind spot area, there is a good chance that the trucker cannot see you or does not have time to stop or slow down to avoid hitting you.
