How many times have you passed a semi, looked up and noticed the truck was so large you couldn't see the top of it? Perhaps you drive a smaller car and you've noticed that most of your car could fit underneath a semi. The size difference between most cars and semis is considerable, and an out-of-control semi can cause more damage than a little car that loses control.

As such, truckers in Missouri are professional drivers, and they are held to a higher standard of care when they are behind the wheel. Truckers should be more aware of the damage their vehicles cause in truck accidents, as well as the situations that lead to those accidents.

Unfortunately, several truckers may have acted negligently when they drove into thick fog and fire smoke. The visibility was so low the drivers couldn't see, so they stopped their vehicles. It's unclear whether their vehicles were on the sides of the road or whether they stopped in the lanes of traffic.

Regardless, as other traffic traveled into the same stretch of highway, their cars were crushed when they were slammed under the big rigs.

The most recent highway pileup killed 10 people and sent 18 survivors to the hospital. The fatal accident included more than a dozen cars, six tractor-trailers and a motor home. As one car after another plowed into the crash, other cars were pushed under semis or burst into flames.

Metal shrapnel flew through the air, and the people who were fortunate enough to get out of their cars found few places to hide for cover. One survivor said the scene "looked like the end of the world." Another said it "looked like someone was picking up cars and throwing them."

Given the dangerous driving conditions, it's impossible to know whether the fatalities could have been avoided if cars hadn't been crushed under the tractor-trailers. However, it is likely that we will hear more about this tragedy as investigators determine which parties are at fault.

Source: The Associated Press, "Questions remain in deadly Florida highway crash," Mike Schneider, Freida Frisaro, Jan. 31, 2012