Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

A massive pile-up happened early this morning on Highway 73 near Port Arthur, Texas at around 5:45am this morning. Channel 11 is reporting that dozens of people were hurt and four people are critically injured in a collision that appears to have involved approximately 50 vehicles. Rod Carroll, a deputy with Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, said that two of the vehicles involved caught fire but fortunately nobody was killed. At least ten ambulances were dispatched to the scene and reportedly transported between 45 to 53 people to hospital. According to Deputy Carroll the collisions were the result of poor visibility on the highway due to a combination of fog and smoke from a fire that broke out at the McFaddin Wildlife Refuge earlier this week. Highway 73 was shut down in both directions due to the wreck.

Aside from the toll the injuries will take on those involved in the wreck, an accident of this scale has the makings of an insurance claim nightmare.  With nearly 50 vehicles involved and poor visibility it will likely be very difficult to determine what vehicles collided, how and who is responsible for what person’s damages.

Four people were critically injured in a massive pile-up on Highway 73 on Thursday January 5, 2012

Tammy Rhoades was driving home from her birthday celebration last night (Sunday January 2, 2012) when she was struck and killed by a driver who was subsequently arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter. Ms. Rhoades had apparently pulled over to offer help to a motorist who was stranded on I-45 near FM 3083. The stranded driver had got a flat tire in a construction zone in Conroe and was stopped in a moving lane of traffic: Tammy Rhoades pulled in behind him and turned on her emergency flashers. The third driver, 21-year old Tyler Shelton, then crashed into the rear of Ms. Rhoades’ vehicle with such force that the rear seat was crushed forward into the front seat. Shelton has been charged with intoxication manslaughter. Police advise any motorist who gets a flat in the Conroe construction area to keep driving on the bad wheel until they are able to pull over in an area away from the travel lanes. Tammy Rhoades was from Willis, Texas and had been celebrating her 45th birthday. Channel 13’s report did not indicate whether the driver in the first car with the flat tire was injured. The Houston Chronicle’s story on the deadly accident is here.

The Montgomery County Police Reporter provides a detailed account of the accident, including that Tammy Rhoades was driving a Pontiac Grand Am and that Tyler Shelton was driving a black colored Chevrolet pickup. Apparently after the collision Shelton fled the scene in his heavily damaged pickup. When interviewed by police Shelton offered the explanation that a fourth vehicle, a white colored pickup, struck Ms. Rhoades’ vehicle first forcing her car into his lane, at which time he was unable to stop and struck her vehicle himself.

It is a real tragedy that Ms. Rhoades’ act of kindness toward a stranger cost her life.

Tammy Rhoades of Willis, Texas died when her vehicle was rear-ended on I45 in Conroe. Ms. Rhoades had stopped to help this motorist change a flat tire in a construction zone.

Tammy Rhoades' Pontiac Grand Am sustained massive damage in the January 2, 2012 collision

Following close in time to the funeral procession crash that seriously injured Pasadena Police Department Sergeant Matt Novotny comes another car versus motorcycle collision that has injured a Patton Village Police Department motorcycle officer, also escorting a funeral. According to a report from Houston’s Channel 11 News, the officer’s motorcycle was clipped causing him to lose control of his motorcycle and fly into the back windshield of another vehicle. The officer was struck by the vehicle in the 12800 block of Cullen at around 12:45pm: the officer was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital with non life threatening injuries. The accident happened on 12/23/2011.

A Patton Village Police Department motorcycle officer was injured when he crashed through the rear window of his car while escorting a funeral.

Suspected drunk driver Jose Meija was arrested after crashing into a HPD patrol car Christmas Day

Suspected drunk driver Jose Meija got some silver-colored bracelets courtesy of HPD on Christmas morning when he failed to yield the right-of-way when turning left and crashed into a HPD police cruiser. The wreck happened at the intersection of Beechnut and Maplecrest around 4:30am on 12/25/2011. After colliding with the police car Meija’s vehicle hit a curb and ran over a stop sign. Fortunately the officer was wearing his seat belt and reportedly sustained minor injuries. Meija has been charged with driving while intoxicated.

Channel 2 News is reporting an intersection collision involving a drunk driver that killed a 60-year old pedestrian in a crosswalk. A 52-year old man was driving drunk, heading westbound on Aldine-Westfield at around 11:00pm on Thursday December 22, 2011. A 27-year old man driving a Buick was heading south on Woodcreek Lane driving a blue-colored Buick. The 52-year old attempted a left turn that caused a collision with the Buick, making the Buick slide sideways and collide with the 60-year old man who was in crosswalk at the time. The 52-year old was intoxicated at the time and is in custody for DWI. Investigators are hoping security camera footage from a business near the scene of the collision with help them determine whether the 52-year old had a solid green light or a green left turn arrow when he entered the intersection. That in turn would determine whether other charges would be filed. The name of the 60-year old victim has not been released. Channel 11’s report on the fatal crash is here.

An intersection collision involving a drunk driver on 12/23/2011 left a pedestrian dead.

Channel 2 is reporting on a tragic loss for one Houston area family this holiday season. 16-year old Chris Saiz was killed in a single vehicle accident while riding as a passenger in a vehicle driven by another student, 17-year old Derrick Jones. The car crashed in the 4600 block of South Mason Road at around 10:00pm on Tuesday 20th December. According to investigators Derrick was driving northbound on Mason when he struck a curb, over-corrected then traveled across the center median: the car overturned landing on its side in the southbound lane. Chris Saiz was taken by life flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital where he passed away a couple of hours later. Chris Saiz was apparently a leading scorer on the Cinco Ranch basketball team. Friends of Chris Saiz have already set up a memorial page on Facebook which already has 403 “likes” – testament to Chris’ popularity. The page indicates a candlelight vigil will be held tonight in front of the Cinco Ranch gym from 7:00pm to 10:00pm to remember Chris and show support for his family. In a Houston Chronicle article, Cinco Ranch basketball coach Neil King described Chris as “…an unbelievable young man from a great family…he wasn’t just a good basketball player, he was a great student and leader.”

16-year old Cinco Ranch basketball player Chris Saiz was tragically killed in a single vehicle crash on 12-20-2011.

Our hearts go out to Chris’ family. This tragic loss is compounded by how close it comes to Christmas. Our prayers are with the Saiz family.

Early on Saturday December 17, 2011 a woman was killed when her car was t-boned by a wrecker truck leaving the scene of a prior collision. A triple wreck had happened on Highway 6 near FM529 at around 2:30am. A two truck driver was leaving this wreck when he t-boned a 24-year old woman pulling onto Highway 6. Tragically the young woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Channel 2’s report of this crash states that the 24-year old woman was pulling out from a stop sign when she was hit by the wrecker. Investigators said several tickets were issued to drivers who attempted to pass through the accident scene, even after Highway 6 had been shut down in both directions.

Fatal accident on Highway 6 near FM529 on Dec 17, 2011

Police are investigating the cause of the fatal accident involving a tow truck.

A motorcyclist is in Ben Taub hospital after a late night accident on the North Freeway. Police said the man was riding at a high rate of speed shortly before 1:00am when he lost control of his motorbike on the north freeway service road at West Canino: the man hit a guardrail and slid for about 50 feet. His condition is described as serious but stable. Wet roads may have been a factor in the accident.

Local media outlets are reporting a fatal collision on US290 near 43rd street involving a motorcyclist and a pickup truck. According to Houston Police, the motorcyclist was traveling in excess of 100MPH when he rear-ended the pickup truck at around 2:30am. Police also said that the driver of a red-colored Chevrolet was unable to avoid the motorcyclist when he was thrown from the bike, and the Chevrolet ran over the bike rider in the roadway. The freeway was shut down for three hours as emergency responders worked the accident scene.

Pasadena Police Department sergeant Matt Novotny needs our prayers after being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on Monday December 12, 2011. During the 10:40am motorcycle crash in South Houston Sgt. Novotny’s motorcycle went flying into the air and the officer was thrown at least 30 yards according to a witness. Witness Cesar Chopp said Sgt. Novotny went straight up in the air, moved a little when he landed and then was still. Novotny was transported by life flight to Memorial Hermann to be treated for a broken pelvis and other injuries. The accident happened near the intersection of Almeda and West Fuqua while Novotny was escorting a funeral procession. According to witnesses a blue vehicle hit sergeant Novotny knocking him off his motorbike then continued on and hit another car. The woman driving the car that hit him said she saw the green light as she was approaching the intersection but said she didn’t see the officer’s motorcycle until it was too late. Habiba Halim is identified as the driver who struck Sgt. Novotny in an article by Houston’s Channel 11 News. Police indicated they planned to ticket Ms. Halim for failure to stop for an emergency vehicle: notwithstanding that she has a green light, she still had a duty to stop for the police motorcycle with lights and sirens activated.

Hopefully Sgt. Novotny will fully recover from his injuries.  Unfortunately a broken pelvis is a serious orthopedic injury that typically requires an extensive recovery period. Hopefully both Ms. Halim and Sgt. Novotny have plenty of automobile insurance coverage. The Houston Chronicle’s coverage of the accident is here and indicates that Novotny is a 32-year veteran of Pasadena Police Department. The Chronicle lists the blue vehicle that struck Sgt. Novotny as a Honda CRV and states that Novotny was stopped in the center of the intersection when he was hit. FOX News’ coverage is available here.

Sergeant Matt Novotny was seriously injured in this Dec 12, 2011 motorcycle crash

Sergeant Matt Novotny, 32-year veteran of Pasadena Police Department.