Pinellas County, FL — October 1, 2024, Deputy Dakota Dellechiaie was injured after a tanker truck accident at 5:20 a.m. on Hudson Avenue.

Authorities said in preliminary statements that the accident happened near the intersection of Hudson Road and Hays Road.

Investigators said that Deputy Dakota Dellechiaie was in a police vehicle going eastbound on Hudson, Ahead, a tanker truck was reportedly backing across both directions the roadway when Deputy Dellechiaie's vehicle crashed into the tanker. As a result, Deputy Dellechiaie was seriously injured. Right now, no additional details about the accident are available.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

While there aren't any reported charges or citations right now, in my experience, this sort of crash rarely happens without the truck driver making a huge mistake. Backing up across a narrow highway is dangerous enough on its own without extensive measures to make the maneuver safer, such as having clearly visible co-workers flagging down traffic. But even in the likely event this all was due to a driver's mistake, a simple charge or citation may not be enough to really address what went wrong here. The reason for that is employers often play a role in serious wrecks, as well. Allow me to explain.

I've handled hundreds of commercial vehicle accident cases over the years. Many of them occurred when a truck driver made a mistake either trying to meet the unreasonable demands of an employer or because their employer failed to take basic steps to prevent that behavior. Some companies hire inexperienced drivers, then fail to train them properly. Others allow drivers with a history of reckless behavior to operate for them. There are companies who demand drivers meet unreasonable deadlines, so drivers are forced to cut corners and take shortcuts that put people in danger. In all of these kinds of situations, it's just a matter of time before people get hurt.

That's why simply holding an irresponsible truck driver accountable isn't always the right thing to do. Obviously, if a driver makes a mistake, they should face appropriate consequences. But if evidence shows there were people in charge of that driver influencing that behavior, they're likely to just continue business as usual unless they, too, are held accountable and realize their actions have consequences. That's why I would hesitate to believe we're getting the full story here even if reports did say charges were being filed. In all likelihood, making things right for the victim and their loved ones will require further independent investigations beyond just the crash scene itself.