Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Investigators are working to determine whether alcohol was a factor in a major head-on crash early this morning that injured five people.  The vehicles collided at the intersection of Wes Montgomery and Victory in northwest Houston, according to ABC Channel 13 News. One vehicle was heading north, the other south, when the southbound vehicle attempted a left turn to head eastbound. Neighbor woken by the sound of the crash came to the scene to help and reported a female occupant of one vehicle with a large gash to her head. Other victims suffered broken bones but all are expected to survive.

A man was killed in a 2-vehicle collision in north Houston around 8:15 p.m. June 1, 2014. KHOU reports that a pickup truck heading east on Aldine Mail Route crossed over into oncoming traffic and hit an SUV nearly head-on. A family of five in the SUV reportedly were not injured; the driver of the pickup truck was dead at the scene. Authorities are investigating whether the pickup driver suffered a medical event, causing him to crash.

35-year old Pasadena resident Blisha Marrie Puga, pictured below, has been charged with intoxication manslaughter for a fatal car accident 5:15 a.m. Sunday. The wreck happened in the northbound lanes of Houston’s Gulf Freeway near Broadway Street. KHOU’s report says witnesses saw Puga’s Saab swerve and hit a Ford Taurus ; a woman in the Taurus was pronounced dead at the scene, and Puga admitted to police that she had been drinking before the crash. A person of the same name was arrested in late 2012 by Houston Police Department and charged with driver’s license and auto insurance offenses.

Blisha Marrie Puga appearing in court

A two vehicle collision occurred around 9:00 p.m. last night when an SUV pulling out of the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store on Tidwell in Houston was struck by a car. The SUV flipped over, trapping the driver who was rescued by emergency services. The driver of the SUV was transported to the emergency room and the two folks in the car were treated at the scene. Police say alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

Injured in a car accident and unsure of how to deal with the insurance company? Smith & Hassler has FOUR attorneys Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. Visit www.smithandhassler.com or call 713 739 1250 for a free consultation.

Five vehicles, including a Fed-Ex 18-wheeler, were involved in a fatal crash this morning around 5:24 a.m. on southbound Interstate 45 just north of Conroe, Texas. At least one person died in the accident which shut down the freeway and had traffic backed up for nearly four miles into Willis, Texas.

Media reports: Channel 11 News Montgomery County Police Reporter

Photo credit: KHOU

Photo credit: KHOU

Joseph Valderas' Honda. Photo credit: Mont Co. Police Reporter

At least nine people were taken to hospital Saturday evening, some of them by life flight helicopter, after an explosion at the Georgia Pacific plant in Corrigan, Texas. The explosion happened around 6:15 p.m. and was followed by a fire that took fire crews about an hour to bring under control. Corrigan Police Chief Darrell Gibson said several of the victims were severely burned; five were transported by helicopter. Georgia Pacific is based in Atlanta, GA and manufactures paper products including household names such as Dixie cups and Brawny paper towels.

Channel 11’s report says the plant manufactures plywood, and that firefighters said the apparent cause of the incident was a problem with the plants sawdust collection system. The East Texas town of Corrigan is in Polk County, Texas and has a population around 1,600.

Media coverage of the Georgia Pacific plant explosion: Channel 2 Houston

A 12-year old and 13-year old were transported to the hospital after they were hit by a car on Raintree Village and Morton near Morton Ranch High School this morning. One youngster hit the windshield of the vehicle according to Channel 2’s report, the other was grazed by the vehicle.

Smith & Hassler: Houston personal injury attorneys for auto-pedestrian accidents

Photo credit: Channel 2 News

A young boy was tragically killed and his sister seriously injured when an 18-wheeler trucker distracted by something in his cab failed to slow down and struck the back of a family’s vehicle. The crash happened early evening, Friday April 19th on Highway 290 near Mason Road. Channel 2’s story quotes Texas DPS investigators as saying the trucker was looking down at his cell phone at the time of the collision. By the time the driver looked up he had already rear-ended a silver-colored Kia Optima sedan, driven by the boy’s 40-year old mother. Also in the car were the boy, believed to be around 9-years old, and his younger sister. The impact to the Kia was so severe the back bumper of the Kia was pushed forward to the back of the car’s front seat. The Kia was pushed forward, striking a Ford F150 pickup, which then hit a fourth vehicle, a Toyota Camry. The occupants of the other vehicles were injured and transported to hospital.

What a terrible, avoidable tragedy. This family has been forever changed due to something totally preventable: distracted driving.

Driver of the 18-wheeler

A life flight helicopter transported the mother and daughter from the Kia to Memorial Hermann Hospital; the mother is expected to survive, the daughter was taken into surgery for a skull fracture. The boy in the Kia died at the scene.

Officials inspect the silver Kia Optima

KHOU’s coverage of the accident is here.

DPS Trooper Richard Standifer is interviewed

ABC Channel 13 News’ coverage of the accident is here.

Scene of last nigh's fatal crash on Highway 290

The Houston Chronicle’s coverage is here.

The F150 pickup involved in the accident

Tragedy struck today in northwest Harris County when a 4-year old boy was fatally struck by a vehicle in the 7700 block on Theissetta Drive in Spring, according to KHOU.  The accident happened shortly before noon today, and appears to have involved an orange-colored extended cab pickup truck that was photographs from KHOU’s news helicopter. Channel 2’s report indicates the accident happened when a vehicle was backing out of a driveway, and that the incident occurred on Chapel Pines Drive. Channel 13’s report is here.

Photo credit: KHOU

Photo credit: KHOU

Police say a drunken 18-wheeler driver is responsible for a fatal accident just before 11:00 p.m. Sunday night. Police say the big rig was heading westbound on Beechnut Street and made a left turn onto Cook Road while the light was red. A Chevrolet Tahoe SUV that was heading through the intersection collided with the 18-wheeler; the male driver in his 40’s or 50’s was rushed to the hospital where he later died. The truck driver now faces an intoxication manslaughter charge. Channel 2’s story is here. KHOU’s story is here.

The driver of this Chevy Tahoe died due to injuries sustained in the wreck

Willie James Johnson's 18 wheeler

Police say Johnson turned left when the turn arrow was red

Willie James Johnson