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Improperly Set Brakes Could Be Cause Of Semi Crash

GRAND PRAIRIE (CBS 11 News) ― Police learned more about what caused a truck to roll head on into a McDonald's in Grand Prairie Tuesday afternoon.

The 18-wheeler was removed Tuesday evening, leaving a 20 foot-wide hole in the side of the building. The restaurant is located at Interstate 20 and Great Southwest Parkway.

According to an initial investigation by police, the driver, 43-year-old Adrian Vasquez, did not properly engage his brakes. Neither Vasquez nor the company he works for wanted to comment about the accident.

A fellow truck driver named Timothy says driving an 18-wheeler, which can sometimes weigh up to 80,000 pounds, is a big responsibility.

"The people that's around me life is at stake," he said.

Timothy says if the air brake is not engaged properly, the truck will roll. So he always remembers to engage the service and emergency brakes.

As a result of Tuesday's accident, two McDonald's employees were injured. One woman was taken to the hospital on a stretcher. The other woman was taken by a car to the hospital. Both have since been released.

"It appears that the injuries were from the debris and the impact site," said Beletra Atwaters, a McDonald's representative.

Mcdonald's say they are moving employees to other stores until the location is repaired. They expect the work to be done early next week.

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