All fatal traffic accidents require detailed investigations, and the families of victims often have to wait quite a while before they get answers. Unfortunately, fatal truck accidents can take even longer to investigate because of the many potential factors involved.

This week, the families of victims killed in a truck accident on March 26, 2010 finally heard from the National Traffic Safety Board. The NTSB was set to provide a final report on the Kentucky crash yesterday afternoon, and many family members of the victims attended.

A year and a half after the crash, family members are still reeling from the truck accident that took 11 lives. The Kentucky family was traveling by van to Iowa to attend a family wedding when an 18-wheeler crossed the center line on I-65.

Kentucky State Police investigated the crash and determined that the driver had been recently using a cell phone. It was also strongly suggested that driver fatigue played a significant role in the crash.

The company that the truck driver worked for was taken out of service by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration after this crash, and the company was not reinstated until February 2011. In the past 30 months, 21 of the company's drivers have been sanctioned for various trucking violations, including log book errors and driving for longer than the allowed time limits for commercial drivers.

In the 2010 accident, the driver of the truck and 10 people in the van were killed in the crash. The 10 family members ranged from 64-years-old to very young. Two of the youngest family members survived the crash, but they will grow up without the love and attention from the other family members who died.

This crash appears to have resulted from a long-time problem at the trucking company. It is a clear example of why trucking laws must be followed, and the tragic consequences when drivers choose to ignore the rules.

Source: TheTrucker.com, "NTSB to meet Tuesday to consider final report on 2010 Kentucky crash that killed 11," Brett Barrouquere, Sept. 8, 2011