Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Smith & Hassler has the privilege of representing three of the child passengers injured in the Alpha Kids Center van accident that injured 16 children. The children’s mother retained Smith & Hassler to represent her 11-year old daughter, 9-year old son and 8-year old son who were injured in the crash. New information has come to light that, according to prosecutors involved in the case, the driver of the daycare van Conception Coronado did not have a driver’s license: you can read Channel 13’s report here. Today Coronado and Darryl Freeman (owner of Alpha Kids Center) appeared before a judge to hear the charges against them: injury to a child, criminal negligence. Coronado is being held without bond because she is in the country illegally. Police say the kids were injured when Coronado ran a red light: the van did not have an adequate number of seat belts or child seats.

Police say van driver Conception Coronado has no drivers license and is in the country illegally

Yesterday’s foul weather in Houston may have played a part in a multi-vehicle accident that injured 18 people today, including 16 children riding in a Alpha Kids’ Center extended daycare passenger van.  The accident happened around 3:30 p.m. on Gulf Bank near Beltway 8. It appears as many as four vehicles were involved in the accident. The children, aged between 4 and 12, were returning from a field trip. The children were transported to hospital as a precaution. Channel 11’s report is here. Channel 2’s report is here. Channel 13’s report is here.

Update: Channel 13 is now reporting that the driver of the Alpha Kids Daycare van is facing felony charges for the accident. The report states the van was heading eastbound of West Gulf Bank when the van driver ran a red light and was t-boned by a pickup truck heading northbound on the service road. In addition to being charged for running the red light, the van driver was also charged with child endangerment, a state jail felony. Investigators say there were too many children traveling in the van, and not enough seat belts or child seats. Thank goodness the accident wasn’t more severe, given that it appears there were unrestrained kids in the van.

Update 2: Channel 11 is reporting that Conception Coronado, the driver of the van, and Darryl Freeman, owner of Alpha Kids’ Daycare, have been charged in connection with the crash. Freeman was charged with allowing the students to be transported without restraints and with too many passengers in the van. Coronado was issued a citation for running the red light and causing the crash. Both Coronado and Freeman have been charged with injury to a child/criminal negligence.

The driver of this Alpha Kids Center van was faulted for running a red light and causing a wreck

Injured in a motor vehicle accident and not sure what to do? Smith & Hassler has practiced only personal injury law since 1989 and has helped thousands of injured clients recover their damages. Contact Smith & Hassler for a free consultation, 24 hours a day.

Place say an early Monday morning rear-end car accident was caused by an SUV driver operating his vehicle without his glasses. A man driving an SUV failed to see a car at a stop sign on Mullins Drive and Jessamine Street in Houston. The man without glasses was taken to hospital with whiplash and three women in the car that was rear-ended sustained injuries. No word on whether the driver of the SUV will face charges.

A woman died this afternoon in a two vehicle accident on the East Freeway. Investigators told local news outlets that a woman was driving an Isuzu Rodeo SUV when she lost control and hit the inner guardrail on the inbound East Freeway at Monmouth. A Dodge pickup truck was unable to stop in time to avoid the Isuzu and struck the SUV. The Isuzu flipped over but landed upright, however the woman inside died at the scene. The driver of the SUV is identified by a Channel 2 story as 52-year old Debra Wuneburger. Channel 13’s story is here.

52-year old Debra Wuneburger died today when her Isuzu Rodeo struck a guardrail

Alleged drunk driver responsible for head-on crash in Santa Fe, Texas: 53-year old Tony Rainey, pictured below, has been charged with two counts of intoxication assault in connection with a major car accident on July 4^th in Santa Fe, Texas that seriously injured a young woman and a little girl. Rainey is in custody on $100,000 bond.

Santa Fe Police say Tony Rainey was driving westbound on FM 1764 around 9:00pm when he suddenly swerved into the eastbound lanes crashing head-on into a vehicle driven by Terry Regnier.  25-year old Ashley Jackson and a five-year old girl were a passenger in Regnier’s vehicle. Both Ashley and the little girl suffered serious injuries and were life-flighted to hospital: thankfully they are now in stable condition. Ashley suffered facial fractures in the accident.

Two others were injured in the accident and were taken by ground ambulance to the hospital. Testing performed at the crash scene determined that Tony Rainey was legally intoxicated at the time of the crash. He was taken to the hospital for a mandatory blood draw and was then charged with intoxication assault. Rainey is currently in custody pending his transfer to Galveston County Jail. FOX News’ story is here.

According to the Galveston Daily News’ report, police found a spilled beer on the floorboard of Rainey’s vehicle. Hopefully Tony Rainey has plenty of automobile insurance to cover the injuries and damage caused. Speedy recovery to Ashley Jackson and the little girl.

Tony Rainey has been charged with two counts of intoxication assault

25-year old Ashley Jackson and a 5-year old girl were life flighted after the wreck

Terry Regnier's vehicle was hit head-on by Rainey: police say Rainey was drunk

HPD car wrecked in the wrong-way accident last night on the North Freeway near Tidwell

The patrol car sustained major damage after colliding with the concrete median

This blue Ford Mustang was involved in the chain reaction crash

If you or a family member have been injured by a drunk driver‘s selfish choices, Smith & Hassler is a Houston personal injury law firm that will aggressively pursue compensation for your damages.

Drunk driver hits pedestrian in Montrose: A woman was crossing West Alabama near Mandell in the Montrose area at around 2:30am this morning when she was struck by a 2008 Nissan Altima sedan. The driver of the Altima, Arturo Gonzales, initially left the scene, but then decided to return. Gonzales has been charged with driving while intoxicated. The female pedestrian was taken to Memorial Hermann hospital in serious condition. Channel 2’s report is here. Channel 13’s report is here. Unfortunately this will probably be one of many injury accidents caused by drunk drivers over the fourth of July weekend. Smith & Hassler has practiced personal injury law in Houston and throughout Texas since 1989, and leverages that experience to protect the rights of clients hurt by drunk drivers.

A female pedestrian was hit by a drunk driver on West Alabama in the Montrose area

The windshield of the Nissan Altima is shattered from the impact with the pedestrian

The pedestrian was transported to Memorial Hermann in serious condition

Police believe drunk driving was to blame for yet another fatal accident in the Houston area. At around midnight last night a 29-year old male driver and his 34-year old male passenger were traveling on the Southwest Freeway (US 59) near Edloe in a Nissan 350z sports car when the driver lost control and crashed into the concrete median. The sports car flipped over the median, rolled over, and landed in the beginning of the HOV lane, sliding down the freeway. The passenger was ejected in the accident and his body slid around 150 feet: he was pronounced dead at the scene.  The driver of the Nissan refused a breathalyzer test, however we are in a no refusal period through July 4th, so one way or the other police will obtain an alcohol test from the driver. Channel 13’s report of the accident is here.

The 34-year old man riding as a passenger in the Nissan 350z was pronounced dead at the scene

The Nissan flipped after hitting the median, ejecting the passenger