Many drivers fear getting into an accident with an 18-wheeler because they know small vehicles stand little chance against such large trucks. However, it is not just people in passenger vehicles who are hurt or killed in semi-truck accidents. Sometimes, it is other truck drivers who are the ones harmed in such accidents.

That's the case with a truck accident that took place in Louisiana late last month. Around 4:10 a.m. on January 31, two truck drivers were going through Vernon Parish when their rigs struck each other. The driver of one of the rigs, a 29-year-old man from Ridder, Louisiana, died instantly. The other driver, a 54-year-old man from Durand, Louisiana, died in a hospital after the accident.

Authorities have said they do not know whether the 29-year-old driver was wearing a seatbelt, but they do know that the 54-year-old driver was not wearing his. His failure to buckle up undoubtedly contributed to his death.

An official cause of the accident has yet to be identified. Results are pending on toxicology reports that were performed on both men, as is standard operating procedure after any accident of any magnitude.

Louisiana Highway 28 had to be closed in both directions for several hours so cleanup crews could take care of the devastation that resulted from the crash.

The accident was the fourth that the unit of the state patrol that monitors that part of Louisiana has investigated so far this year.

Hopefully, this story encourages all readers to be careful on the roads. Accidents are not always this deadly, but they can happen in an instant and can change an unfortunate victim's life forever.

Source: The Town Talk, "2 truck drivers died in Vernon Parish crash; La. 28 reopens," Jan. 31, 2012