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The trucking firm involved in a fatal accident on Highway 82 in Colorado earlier this month violated its operating permit by not displaying lights on the side of the modular trailer it towed, a Colorado State Patrol investigator has reported.

Trooper Dennis Gibbons said the truck could legally haul the trailer at night - as long it had proper lighting. In this case, that required lights on each of the four corners that were visible from the sides, as well as one light on each side of the trailer between the corners.

That would have resulted in three lights on each side of the trailer, Gibbons said. The trailer didn't have any lights visible on the sides.

The 1984 Kenworth Truck driven by Mark Chamness, 48, of Littleton, pulled out of a private driveway on the north side of Highway 82, crossed the westbound - or downvalley - lanes, then stopped in the median while waiting to turn left toward Aspen. The truck was delivering a temporary office of the type seen at construction projects.

The modular trailer blocked both westbound lanes of Highway 82 while Chamness was stopped and waiting to turn. A downvalley-bound 2000 Kia Sephia with three passengers slammed into the trailer at about 6:40 a.m. The driver and a passenger in the front were killed at the scene. A passenger in the back survived the crash with serious injuries.

Investigators found no sign that the Kia was braking. The car was traveling at or around the posted 65-mph speed limit, Gibbons said. Speed and alcohol were eliminated as factors in the crash.

There were reports that another vehicle, a "Penske truck," stopped in the right lane for the tractor-trailer. The Kia was in the left lane. The other vehicle wasn't involved in the accident and departed the scene before investigators could interview the driver.

Chamness received a citation from the state patrol on suspicion of four violations: careless driving causing death, careless driving causing bodily injury, stopping in an intersection when prohibited, and violating a permit by operating during the hours of darkness. He was released after he received the summons. The case is currently under review.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident in Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx, New York, please contact the experienced truck accident attorneys at Silberstein Awad & Miklos today to schedule your initial consultation.