Truck Driver Who Lost His Leg Blames Steering System Malfunction For Near Fatal Crash
by Jana Ritter - Published: 8/31/2016“It was something beyond my control. Trees knocking the truck, truck knocking the trees, banging each other…”
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Texas truck driver, Jackson Musyoka, says he is lucky to be alive after a horrific crash and a grueling rescue operation that ultimately cost him his left leg. The incident occurred last Thursday in North Carolina on Interstate 85 near the Mecklenburg County-Gaston County line. Musyoka was simply doing his job and driving along when he says the steering system in his tractor-trailer malfunctioned and caused the vehicle to veer off the road. He says at first he thought he would have to make a difficult split-second decision to veer into another lane of traffic or swerve off of the road but before he could decide, the truck went plunging down the embankment. At that point, he knew there was nothing he could do but pray.
The truck descended down the embankment leaving Musyoka pinned inside the cab with twisted metal making it impossible for him to get out. Firefighters and emergency responders from several different agencies immediately flooded the crash site and began performing the difficult job of rescuing Musyoka from the wreckage. They spent four hours cutting their way through the mangled truck while Musyoka remained conscious with serious injuries and in severe pain. “They kept cutting, cutting. Something snapped and I was able to pull my right leg,” he says. When they were finally able to pull him out, the truck driver was immediately airlifted to the hospital. Unfortunately, his left leg was so badly injured, it had to be amputated at the hospital. His right leg was also injured but able to be saved and he also suffered an eye injury, cuts and bruises.
Despite losing his leg, Musyoka is in positive spirits knowing how lucky he is just to be alive. “I was very thankful because a lot of people don’t get to have that.” He is also especially thankful for the team of first responders who made it possible. “They saved my life. They did everything they could,” Musyoka said.
However, he is not so happy with the truck manufacturer and believes the truck may have had a recall that wasn’t addressed. Musyoka is an owner/operator with his company, Motherland Inc. and bought the vehicle from a third party vendor. He says that he is considering taking legal action for the steering system malfunction that nearly cost him his life and resulted in the loss of his leg.
Happened to me. I managed to stop vehicle before hitting the guard rail on i-80 through PA. Freightliner had JUST replaced the entire steering system. Find out they did not use a lock nut behind the boot, not visible during a pre trip
All 16 volvos had a massive steering shaft recall that we covered earlier this year. Faulty steering shaft.
one lucky guy i watched that whole thing .i cant even imagine what his wife went threw listening to all that
Watched it? Like a dash cam? Or were you just a fellow motorist/driver?
The pitman arm came off the steering box while I was driving down the highway. That resulted in my truck running off the highway and down an embankment. Malfunctions do happen.
I am not surprised at all because the trucking industry is just mass producing theses things and the do nothing Congress let them! Vote Congress ass's out of office come November and stop being fooled think you are better than the next American!
How hard is it to run the VIN to see if there are any open recalls? He failed to do his due diligence and now wants someone else to pay.
This is exactly what could have happened to me if I hadn't told Swift to give me a different truck when they consistently failed to find the problem with the one I had.
The investigator(s) can request to see phone records to see if he was on phone. I have a head set that I use so I can have both hands on steering wheel & can make mirror checks easily. If I need to do evasive steering I can.
from what i have read and the news interview with his wife.. he was on the phone and looked down and went off the road...
Kimberly ,That's one of a few reasons why I use head set. The investigators can request phone records & they may say it's his fault of why he wrecked. But if the steering system was at fault there will be evidence.
Something to consider by no means am I an expert. But my trucks have always been ten years older than the next guy because I wanted to be in the business and that's all I could afford so I had to maintain them to extreme. Just the other day I saw a Freightliner caught my eye because it was single screw with a tag axle brand new truck. I also noticed that the spring hangers no longer had the metric equivalent to a 5/8 Bolt they were smaller when we had failures which spring hangers they had 5 days bolts and the castings were thicker. what would lead me to believe that a thinner one with smaller bolts has the same Integrity these things also cause accidents. The trunnions and Axle pivots under a 53-foot reefer that are narrower then the ones under a 45-foot reefer from years ago no one looks at these things. You have weaker equipment on horrible roads. Yes drivers do play a role . But when a truck hits a New York City pothole it shouldn't cause extensive damage to the truck. Take your brand new truck from any manufacturer and park it next to a 10 year old truck from any manufacturer and compare their products and old 379 Pete vs the new one not sure what the model is and noticed a difference in the integrity of the vehicle. These are things that all of us drivers with an opinion should look at before you point fingers at one another. It's your life that's at stake as well as all those around you know your vehicle
Correction: Failure with 5/8 bolts
What ever happened to everyone not being sue happy? People wanna sue over everything? Last time I checked, the dangers or losing a limb or your life even was part of our daily job. It can happen at any given time. Don't wanna take the chance don't do the job.
That don't mean that you come out here and voluntarily give them up....or I don't anyway. ..if he's in the right then I have no problem with him suing them. .
Truck malfunctions happen. A LOT! Too many people are instant to jump the gun to sue someone over something that if it happened years ago, the guy would've shrugged off and said "shit happens."
I am definitely not that's a sue happy person but to say oh shit happens and shrugs it. Allows manufacturers the window to cut costs by not going the extra mile to ensure that something is strong enough above the accepted standards to ensure there aren't any problems
It's one incident not 100s. If someone mechanically did something to the truck then that's not a manufacture fault.
My truck has 500k on it, God knows what could've happened in that 500k to go blame a manufacture would be ridiculous
Thanks for the post big fan here
I don't know how true it is. I heard he was talking to his wife and told the police that he dropped the phone and went to pick it up when the accident occurred.
A loose nut behind the steering wheel is all that caused that wreck
Well did you let the investigators know...you could probably save them lots of time by telling them you already know all about it
These comments, ,,,there's alot of Yal that are Educated way above Your intelligence
Just like that other black driver that hit the school bus ,,,because of defective brakes wasn't my fault
Little racist are we???
Sue Domenico it's always someone else's fault is all I'm saying
What does color have to do with anything. That's the problem with a lot of people you don't even realize when you're saying racist things and I'm not one that believes in everything has to be politically correct but if you're going to be racist at least be honest about it don't try to act like you don't mean what you're saying
Just stating facts , I'm sure you all think it's the KKK doing all the drive boys in chgo too
Yeah, and white people never screw up.
Not saying whites are perfect but when yaw ll can't even let your kids go to the park without fearing they,ll be shot by other blacks maybe you should look at that
I'm not afraid to let my kids go to a park. School or a movie theater tho, that's another thing altogether.
Do u live in chgo?
If they had a recall he would have known about it he just trying to get money
I'll bet when the investigation is over the only malfunction they'll find was the DRIVER !!!!!
Problem with volvos is they used a type of crush bolt to weak o metal
Is it to much to ask what kind of truck it was?
A shit one man...duh
I'm going to throw it out there and say Volvo. Hence the" drivers" last name. Foreigner
totally right :D
Barb, unless your name is Runs With Bear or something like that, your name is just as foreign
Smith's is a foreign name also. So much racism on this post
Not sure what a foreign name has to do with anything.
Hope he sues who ever the manufacturer is.
Probably a friggin Volvo!
<3 Cool thanks a lot
All about the buck
the mans lucky to be alive
you know how many recalls are out on trucks right now that most drivers are driving n not aware its scary as hell
Yes!<3
My guess a century class freightliner
How long has that recall been out???
What's to consider? Go get em.
Steering wheel holder