Two Texas women were killed in Colorado as their Jeep Liberty SUV was hit from behind by a semi-truck driver.

The Associated Press reports that the two women were travelling at about 15 mph down eastern Colorado’s I-70 because of icy conditions on the highway, while the driver of a big rig was driving his truck at about 55 mph. Both of the women in the SUV were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical crews.

After the semi-truck driver collided with the SUV, it crashed into a pickup truck and caused the pickup to collide with a Chevrolet Surburban SUV. No serious injuries were reported from the drivers or passengers of the other motor vehicles involved in the truck wreck.

The driver of the semi-truck was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide and other charges.

In addition to facing manslaughter charges as a result of a fatal wreck, an Oregon woman is also being sued by the wife of the man who died.

Terressa D. Breidel, 41, of Pistol River, Ore., was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of drugs causing injury or death, and possession of a controlled substance after the collision last Oct. 24.

In addition to driving under the influence of drugs, the woman may have been sending a text message on her cell phone when she drove her Ford Explorer into the back of a line of stopped cars.

Ronald L. Rudisill was killed in the four-vehicle pileup, and his wife is filing a wrongful death suit against Breidel and the two Oregon courier companies (GTW Distributing LLC and Senvow LLC) she was working for at the time of the wreck. Rudisill is believed to have been making a delivery on the day of the accident directly for GTW.

If you were injured in a car accident or in an accident involving an 18-wheeler, it’s likely a mistake to represent yourself. An experienced, knowledgable car wreck attorney can help maximize your settlement.

The Government Accountability Office has found in a recent study that a significant number of truck accidents or bus accidents were caused by a physical impairment of the driver.

In 2006, 5,300 people died from crashes involving large commercial trucks or buses and 126,000 more were injured. Drivers falling asleep or being disabled by a heart attack or seizure or other physical impairment caused about 12 percent of crashes where the cause could be identified.

In an audit by the Government Accountability Office, more than half a million drivers held commercial truck driving licenses (CDLs) yet were also so disabled that they were eligible to receive full disability benefits. Many of these drivers are still on the road.

According to the report, as of 2006, Texas had more than 16,000 improperly certified truck drivers. The report did not specify how many people were killed or maimed in truck accidents or bus accidents in Texas. Accident attorneys are studying this research.

Companies who hire these drivers should be held accountable. If these numbers are correct, at least 636 people were killed and another 15,000 injured on our nation’s roads in 2006 by improperly certified truck drivers.