Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Two people are dead and a man is charged with intoxication manslaughter after a crash on Highway 290 near 34 Street at 2:00 a.m. Saturday October 13th. Two drivers were involved in a fender bender accident when a Ford Explorer rear-ended a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The driver of the Silverado and a 64-year old passenger exited the truck to exchange information with the driver of the Explorer. Investigators say that at some point the driver of the Silverado suspected the Explorer driver may have been drunk. The driver of the Silverado went back to his truck to call the police leaving the Explorer driver and his passenger when a Lincoln Navigator SUV slammed into the stopped Explorer and Silverado, killing the passenger from the Silverado and the driver of the Explorer. The driver of the Navigator was taken into custody by police. Channel 2’s story is here.

There was a fatal car accident yesterday on Westheimer at Stoney Brook Drive and police think the crash may have been the result of road rage. The accident happened at around 7:00 a.m. Thursday October 11th. A black-colored Acura coupe crashed into a pole causing a passenger, Samantha Dorsey, to be ejected. Witnesses told reporters for KHOU Channel 11 News that the driver and passengers in the Acura got into an argument with the driver and passengers of a yellow or gold-colored Ford Mustang after one party dinged the other party’s car door. The occupants of the Acura left the Wal-Mart parking lot and the Mustang followed, at some point swerving toward the Acura and throwing bottles at it. Houston homicide detectives are looking for the driver of the Mustang: a witness attempted CPR on Ms. Dorsey, the ejected passenger, but she died at the hospital. Channel 2’s report is here. Channel 13’s story here.

Photo credit: KHOU

Photo credit: KHOU

Samantha Dorsey. Photo credit: Facebook

Northbound lanes of Interstate 45 were shut down last night after a fatal motorcycle accident in Conroe, Texas. A woman was riding on the back of a motorcycle when the bike hit a median throwing the woman off. She was then struck and killed by another three-wheeled motorcycle/trike. The man who had been driving the motorcycle with the woman on the back then fled the scene of the accident, and police are trying to locate him. Channel 2’s report.

Sadly Harris County has lost yet another member of our community to a drunk driving accident.

According to various media reports, 21-year old Tomas Ortiz, Jr. has admitted to speeding in excess of 100 miles-per-hour immediately before rear-ending a pickup truck on Clinton Drive at Crown Street in Galena Park at about 10:00 p.m. last night.  Sergeant S. Wolverton with Harris County Sheriff’s Department told Channel 2 reporters that Ortiz reached about 110 MPH when he began to lose control of his vehicle. Ortiz claims he eased off the accelerator at that time and may have slowed to around 75 to 80 MPH when he hit the pickup truck.

When Ortiz’ white Dodge Challenger rear-ended the pickup, the pickup’s driver Elias Hernandez lost control, hit a concrete barrier and went into a creek.  Five people were in the pickup truck at the time of the accident: Elias’ 57-year old wife Laura was killed in the accident.  Two other adults and a 1-year old child were sent to LBJ Hospital in serious but stable condition.  A passenger in Ortiz’ Dodge Challenger suffered minor injuries and was treated and released.

Tomas Ortiz, Jr. was arrested and has been charged with intoxication manslaughter. Channel 2’s report is here. Channel 13’s report is here. Channel 11’s report is here.

Tomas Ortiz, Jr.'s wrecked Dodge Challenger

Elias' Hernandez' pickup truck

Channel 2 is reporting that a deputy constable riding a motorcycle was rushed to hospital after a wreck earlier today on the Sam Houston Tollway near Briar Forest. The wreck happened around 11:20 a.m. when a car in front of the deputy made a sudden stop and the deputy collided with the rear of the vehicle.  The news article did not indicate the deputy’s condition – he was taken to Memorial Hermann.

Photo credit: Channel 2