Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

At around 7:30pm on Thursday January 19, 2012 Keylon Napper was walking on Rio Bonito near Howell Sugarland Road when he was struck by a late model red-colored Toyota car. 26-year old Keylon was walking on Rio Bonito on his way to work at HEB when the Toyota left the roadway and struck him. The driver of the Toyota then stopped and got out to check on him, but then got back in the vehicle and left the scene. Napper and his family live in apartments near the scene: family members heard a crash and someone screaming. Napper’s brother-in-law Brian Henderson ran from his apartment to the scene and found Napper covered in blood: Napper was life-flighted to Memorial Hermann Hospital where he was listed as being in stable condition.

Hopefully the hit-and-run driver of the red Toyota can be identified by law enforcement or will do the right thing and turn themselves in. There is no legitimate reason for a driver who hits a pedestrian to leave the scene of an accident; in fact failure to stop and render aid is a criminal offense under the Texas Transportation Code. Many times drivers leave the accident scene because they have outstanding warrants, are intoxicated or do not have a valid driver’s license or insurance. Certainly we wish Keylon Napper a speedy recovery from his injuries.

A frightening accident unfolded today in Temple, Texas when an 18-wheeler apparently ran a stop sign, colliding with a school bus filled with children and causing the bus to flip onto its side. The accident happened around 7:30am on FM93 on the outskirts of Temple, Texas which is 60 miles northeast of Austin. A total of 32 people, 29 of them children, were sent to Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple. Trooper Harpin Myers of the Texas DPS said the apparent cause of the accident was when the hardware truck (18-wheeler) ran a stop sign and hit the Academy school district bus. It was not readily apparent if foggy conditions were a factor in the wreck. The school bus driver was also listed in critical condition. A 9-year old boy was ejected through the escape hatch in the roof of the bus and the bus driver was knocked unconscious.

An 18-wheeler versus school bus crash in Temple, Texas on 01-19-2012 sent 32 to the hospital

Parents of the children riding in the school bus would be well advised to be extremely wary of settling their children’s claims, meeting with any insurance representatives or representatives of the 18-wheeler company, or signing any document that may affects their rights or their children’s ability to recover their damages. The most prudent approach would be to allow sufficient time to make sure their children are physically (and mentally) recovered or well on the road to recovery before resolving any legal claims. A precautionary visit to the pediatrician would be entirely appropriate given the severity of the collision. It would also be a good idea to consult with an experienced injury attorney who can fully explain their legal rights as parents and also the rights of their children. Although it doesn’t happen too often, unfortunately sometimes unscrupulous insurance representatives will rush injured persons or their family members into signing release documents very soon after an accident, usually before all injuries are fully understood.