Recent Blog Posts
Texas Police Officer Dies in Wreck on I-35
As reported by pro8news.com, a Laredo police officer lost his life, and his wife remains in critical condition, following a tragic crash that happened yesterday on Interstate 35. The Texas Department of Public Safety hasn’t released the couple’s names, pending family notification of the accident. Texas DPS Corporal Frank Hernandez said that department has limited information regarding the wreck, but confirmed that it involved a motorcycle that ended up in the highway median. The Laredo Police Department officer involved was off-duty at the time of the collision, for which the cause remains unknown. Officials are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, including why the driver lost control of the bike, and if any other vehicles were involved in the crash. “screenshot via pro8news” Following the wreck, numerous law enforcement officials rushed to the scene of the serious traffic crash. According to the news article, the deceased officer’s wife is hospitalized in San Antonio, where she is reported as responsive yet critical. Interstate-35 is the site of many Texas motorcycle, car and truck accidents each year, including a number of fatal motor vehicle wrecks. Anyone who is injured in any type of accident on a Texas roadway, or who loses a loved one in a wreck in Texas, should consult an experienced San Antonio personal injury lawyer for advice. Even minor car wrecks can result in injuries with long-term implications, and if a family member has died in a crash, there could be grounds for filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas state court. Due to the complexity of Texas’s personal injury laws, it’s best to immediately contact a San Antonio, Texas car and truck wreck lawyer if you’re considering legal action following a Texas motor vehicle crash.
Recent Texas Truck Wreck One of Many Occuring Each Year
According to kltv.com, a major motor vehicle crash occurred just after 1:00 in the afternoon on May 4, 2012 in Panola County Texas. Apparently, an 18-wheeler and a pick-up crashed on US 59, South of Carthage. The big-rig was carrying a load of 2×4 pieces of wood and, upon impact, the wood spread over the highway. It is currently unclear as to whether the drivers of the vehicle had life threatening injuries, but two medical helicopters immediately arrived at the scene.
According to a report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) www.ntsb.gov , Texas has a higher rate of wrecks involving 18-wheelers, big rigs, semi-trucks, and other commercial vehicles than 49 other states. Some of the reasons for this disparity include size of Texas, the number of freeways and highways in Texas, the long stretches of highways in the state and the ever changing Texas weather conditions.
Three Wrecks on I-35 in One Day
As anyone who travels through Comal County on a regular basis likely knows, Texas’s Interstate 35 is a busy highway and the scene of numerous car wrecks, both minor and serious, each month.
As reported by New Braunfel’s KNGB, three accidents happened here on the same day, Sunday April 29, injuring numerous people and causing significant delays in traffic in the area. The first crash took place just north of New Braunfels, when a small vehicle apparently swerved to avoid hitting another car, then bounced off the center divider, shooting across multiple lanes of traffic, and landing on the outside shoulder of I-35. The car’s driver was taken to a Bexar County hospital with unknown injuries.
A short time later, just south of the scene of the first accident, another vehicle hit the center retaining wall. Luckily, no one was injured in this wreck, although the combination of the two accidents delayed traffic on I-35.
The third car wreck happened in the late afternoon on northbound Interstate 35, when a passenger vehicle drove under a big-rig. The front of the car was sliced off by the semi-truck’s tires. Although the two females in the car were taken to a New Braunfels hospital, reportedly their injuries are minor.
Seguin Wreck Involving Truck, Bus, and Two Cars Injures 13
A serious wreck involving a bus, a semi-truck, and two passenger vehicles, shut down parts of State Highway 123 south of Seguin for nearly the entire day on Friday.
According to a spokesperson from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS,) the accident occurred early on Friday morning, and began when a PT Cruiser pulled off the side of the highway to allow the big-rig to pass – but when it did, it clipped the smaller vehicle, causing it to spin in front of the bus. The bus his the PT Cruiser, and a Ford Focus that was following the bus was also involved in the crash. At some point, the mangled vehicles ignited, causing them to all end up charred.
An Seguin Today article relayed that the driver of the 18-wheeler, 58-year-old Jesus Martinez of Seguin, was airlifted to University Hospital, where he was last reported in critical condition. The drivers of both cars, a female in her 50’s and a female in her 60’s, were also hospitalized. Nine students were on the Seguin ISD bus at the time of the accident. Eight were treated and released, and one, an eight-grader from Barnes Middle School, remains hospitalized and is believed to be in stable condition, along with the school bus driver. DPS continues their investigation into the accident.
San Antonio Car Accident Victims Shouldn’t Hesitate to Pursue Compensation
Occasionally, a family member or friend who is driving with a loved one or a close friend gets into a collision with another car or truck, causing injuries to their loved ones. In such situations, the injured party often is hesitant to pursue just financial compensation because they do not want to financially harm the driver. Although this hesitation is perfectly understandable, if the injured party were to pursue a claim, more often then not, the driver’s insurance would cover the compensation and the financial impact on the driver would be minimal.
For example according to MySanAntonio, last month, a vehicle carrying several San Antonio residents was involved in a single-car accident, after one of the vehicle’s tires blew out. The van’s passengers included the driver’s son, a family friend, the driver’s daughter, and the driver’s boyfriend’s daughter. The driver’s son and family friend died at the scene. The other three had non-life threatening injuries.
Two Teens Recovering After Seguin Texas Car Wreck
Hearing that a family member has been in a serious car accident can be a terrifying process. Christy Martinez, mother of 19-year-old Naomi Martinez, knows this all too well. According to the Seguin Gazette, early on the morning of April 1st, Martinez received a call from a friend who had witnessed the aftermath of a Seguin car accident, and had noticed that Martinez’s daughter, Naomi, was involved.
Christy rushed to the scene of the car crash, where she witnessed the Seguin Fire Department cut her daughter loose from being trapped in the vehicle. Naomi, and her friend, 18-year-old Rayann Ramirez, received major bodily injuries. Once firefighters freed the two from the vehicle, both were life-flighted to University Hospital.
National Distracted Drivers Awareness Month and San Antonio Texting Law
The Texas Department of Transportation has dedicated the month of April to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving. The Department’s message is when you are driving being safe should be your only focus because distractions can lead to motor vehicle accidents. Although since cars came onto the road, distractions frequently have taken drivers’ eyes off the road, now that texting has become so commonplace, distracted driving is all the rage. Last year, Texas Governor Rick Perry, voted against a statewide ban on texting while driving. His view, which is shared by many, is that the government should not interfere with citizens’ daily activities and that such a statewide law would be too intrusive. Simply because there is no state law outlawing driving while texting does not mean that Texas localities have not outlawed the practice. For example, San Antonio councilmen Philip Cortez helped to pass a local ordinance in San Antonio prohibiting texting while driving. Cortez has stated, “All of us have been on the road and we see a car slowing down or swerving, and we pull up next to them and see somebody looking down using their phone or typing a message…It’s unbelievable what you can do with these devices now. You can watch YouTube, check email and Facebook. So, with technology exploding as it has, people are taking it everywhere including behind the wheel.” Cortez, as well as other lawmakers who pass similar laws, believe that prohibiting texting while driving will lead to fewer car, truck and motorcycle accidents and therefore will lead to fewer injuries to other drivers. If you have been in accident with another driver who was distracted for any reason, a top New Braunfels car accident lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact New Braunfels personal injury law firm The Bettersworth Law Firm for advice.
San Antonio Trucker Killed In 18-Wheeler Crash
Royce Dedrick Brooks, from San Antonio, Texas, was killed instantly when a BMW crashed into the 18-wheeler he was driving. The truck accident occurred shortly after midnight on March 28, 2012, in Travis County near Texas 130 and Maha Loop. Brooks’ big-rig was loaded with gasoline. According to reports, the BMW failed to stop at a blinking red light and crashed into the tanker. Immediately upon impact, the truck flipped over and exploded into flames. Brooks died at the scene of the accident. He was 41 years old. The driver of the BMW, Hernan Garcia-Segura, suffered minor injuries. Segura was traveling with his mother, Alicia Garcia-Segura, who was in the car’s passenger’s seat. Due to a broken pelvis and a head injury, Ms. Segura was unable to escape from the vehicle on her own; however, Mr. Segura, despite his own injuries, managed to pull his mother to safety. The two were immediately rushed to University Medical Center Brackenridge.
Due to the truck’s explosion of gas, the roadway was closed for eight hours to clean the gasoline off the road. Further, the burning truck damaged the pavement and had to be resurfaced by the Texas Department of Transportation. The exploding truck was caught on camera by a police helicopter. Segura now faces charges of negligent homicide and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the fatal truck wreck. Although those whose negligent driving injures or kills another can face criminal charges for their actions, this alone doesn’t compensate the victims. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a Texas truck wreck, contact a top San Antonio truck wreck lawyer to discuss filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
Seguin Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for 2007 Texas Car Accident
On Wednesday, February 15, 2012, Jenny Ann Ybarra was sentenced to two years in prison for the manslaughter of Erica Nicole Smith, after being found guilty of manslaughter charges on February 13.
Four years ago, on the night of the fatal car crash, Ms. Ybarra had driven from Seguin to San Antonio for a night out with friends. After having several drinks, while driving home, Ms. Ybarra began to travel the wrong way on Loop 410 near Rigsby Avenue. During the trial, witnesses testified that Ms. Ybarra had a poor sense of direction and often had difficulty with night driving. Her vehicle ended up crashing into a vehicle driven by Sabrina Shaner.
According to the testimony, Ms. Smith, the front seat passenger, experienced severe brain trauma. Another passenger riding in the back seat suffered three fractured vertebrae. All of the women involved in the accident had been drinking that night. Although paramedics promptly responded to the car accident, Ms. Smith did not receive medical attention until nearly two hours after the crash. She passed away the next day.
Suburban San Antonio School Bus Crashes with Pontiac Grand Prix
On the morning of April 3, 2012, a Harlandale Independent School Bus that had seven special needs children aboard collided with a Pontiac Grand Prix at about 7:20 am. The bus was proceeding along its daily route of transporting the children to two different schools – Leal Middle School and Collier Elementary. According to http://mysanantonio.com, the bus made a wide turn onto Somerset Road from Gerald when it crashed into the Pontiac, which was on the wrong side of the road. The bus had a large dent on the front driver’s side. The driver’s door of the Pontiac appeared to be completely destroyed. A man who heard the crash stated that the crash was “pretty much like a bomb. Yeah, you can hear it. I mean, it was just, like, a big impact.”
Paramedics examined all the children for injuries. Luckily, the seven children and the bus driver, 60 year old Elloy Guerra, who were abroad the bus escaped unscathed.
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