Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

18-year old Irvin Ruiz died Sunday when a 2004 Ford Mustang driven by an 18-year old friend left the roadway and went over the Galveston seawall near 1st Street at the far east end of the island. The four others in the car were the driver Aaron Ceballos (19), Luis Aguirre (16), Alexis Williamson (14) and Celeste Plesada (14). Ruiz was a student in the Texas City Independent School District and had planned to join the U.S. Army after graduation. Police are investigating the accident and have not yet determined whether Ceballos will face charges. Channel 2’s article is here.

A major car accident claimed one life last night. The crash happened around 1:30 am near the exit for Ella Boulevard on the 610 North Loop West, eastbound lanes. Police are saying a gray colored Infinity sedan stalled in the middle of the freeway with no light on and the driver of an approaching black Dodge Charger didn’t see the vehicle and crashed into the rear of the Infinity. The impact was apparently so severe the Infinity spun around 180 degrees and was hit again by the Charger, front bumper to front bumper. Tragically the driver of the Infinity died at the scene and a female passenger was transported to the hospital in serious but stable condition. According to one media report, the driver of the Dodge Charger was not injured. Channel 2’s report is here. Channel 13’s report is here.

Yesterday afternoon a man and woman were killed in a helicopter crash in northeast Harris County very close to Highway 90. Christopher Yeager of Houston, 40, and his passenger Joyce Ann Ates of Midwest City, Okalahoma, 60, were in the R-22 Robinson helicopter at around 3:30 p.m. when witnesses say the helicopter went into a tailspin and then crashed to the ground. [Note that in Channel 11’s story the male victim is identified as John Yeager]. The helicopter exploded shortly after impact. Some brave and quick-thinking bystanders did what they could to try and rescue Christopher and Joyce, including using fire extinguishers that were rushed to the site by employees of a nearby pipe yard belonging to Oilfield Pipeline Company. The crash site was secured by the DPS and the NTSB will dispatch investigators to try and determine the cause of the crash. Tom Latson of the NTSB told reporters that a complete investigation of the wreckage will be done, including probably removing the wreckage of the R-22 to a location near Dallas. Latson said the helicopter involved is operated by Helicopter Services Incorporated based in Spring, Texas at Hooks Airport and was possibly out on a photography flight. Channel 13’s report indicates they contacted Helicopter Services about the incident, but a woman who worked there hung up on them.

Channel 11’s story is here. Channel 2’s story is here. Channel 13’s story is here. Houston Chronicle story.

At around 1:00 a.m. this morning a suspected drunk driver wrecked his car, killing a female pedestrian. The 29-year old driver of the silver-colored sedan was heading south on Scott Street when he struck the curb and went into the grassy median, striking the pedestrian. The 52-year old woman was dragged a short a distance by the car and died at the scene. The driver was taken into custody on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. If the driver is determined to be intoxicated he will likely be charged with intoxication manslaughter. According to Channel 11’s report, there were beer cans in the vehicle and the driver of the car told police that woman was “in his way.”

26-year old sanitation worker Ezequiel Martinez was killed Friday in an on-the-job accident when he was riding on the back of an Ameriwaste sanitation truck and it rolled into a ditch. Martinez was collecting curb side trash and riding on the back of the truck as it traveled north on Avenue T in Santa Fe, Texas. The truck left the roadway and turned over in a ditch, pinning Martinez, according to DPS Trooper Colin Kolupski. KHOU Channel 11’s story is here.

A 12-year old boy was rushed to hospital this past Monday morning when a neighbor’s pit bull dog escaped and bit him on the arm. According to Channel 11’s report, the boy was walking to school in the 7900 block of Bauman Road when the attack happened. Investigating officers said it appeared the dog has pushed a cinder block to the side and escaped through a gap in the home’s fence. One boy said this was not the first time the dog had attacked and recounted another incident when the dog started to bite and rip the pants of kids walking past the home. The dog’s owner Raydene Ambriz however claims the dog is frequently provoked by kids who will kick at the fence or throw stones at the dog. Fortunately the boy’s injuries were not life threatening and he was taken to LBJ Hospital for treatment. The pit bull will be quarantined by BARC for 10-days and checked for rabies, a standard procedure when a person is bitten.

To learn more about Texas law on dog bites and when a dog’s owner may be liable for bite victim’s injuries, visit Houston personal injury attorney law firm Smith & Hassler’s web page on dog bite injuries.