Six people were injured in a two vehicle car accident yesterday, three of them were life flighted to Memorial Hermann. The crash happened on Eldridge Parkway at Guernsey Drive, according to Channel 2, when a black-colored Nissan Murano SUV pulled out in front of another SUV occupied by three teenagers. The woman driving the Murano and two passengers were transported via life flight, the teenagers by ground ambulance.
17-year old Trent Weber, a student at Seven Lakes High School in Katy ISD, and 16-year old Terra Kubala, a 16-year old student at Cinco Ranch High School, died over the weekend when the Toyota Tundra pickup truck they were riding in rolled several times. Investigators say the 18-year old driver of the pickup was traveling on Lunda Vista Lane in Fort Bend County on Sunday morning when the wreck happened; at the time there were as many as five teenagers in the cab of the truck and 10 riding in the bed. The driver, whose name has not been released, visited the scene yesterday with his criminal defense attorney Dan Cogdell. At the scene the teen and his lawyer were confronted by Nick Grantges, Terra Kubala’s older brother.
The driver was tested for alcohol by FBCSO, but the results have not been released. Trent and Terra were apparently riding in the pickup bed.
Terra and Trent
Five Texas A&M students were hospitalized after a head on crash Sunday evening. The accident happened around 8:30 p.m. on Highway 105 near Goode City Road in Cleveland, Texas. A pickup truck veered into oncoming traffic, colliding head on with the students’ Hyundai Sonata sedan. Two of the students were in critical condition.
The A&M students' Hyundai
Smith & Hassler has four attorneys who are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and two attorneys named to Texas Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list for 2015.
16-year old Christopher Ragle and 16-year old Gabriella Giles, both students of Ball High School in Galveston, were tragically killed this morning when their pickup truck collided with a Republic Services garbage truck on Stewart Road near 84th Street shortly before 7:00 a.m. The Galveston Daily News web site has detailed coverage of this tragic accident.
Photo credit: KHOU
Gabriella Giles and Christopher Ragle
A 29-year old woman was tragically killed Wednesday morning when she was struck by her own vehicle and thrown from a 610 West Loop overpass.
The woman’s Hyundai Tucson SUV stalled in the southbound lane of of the West Loop South at Highway 59. She put her hood up, and as she was inspecting the engine bay of her vehicle another vehicle had to swerve to avoid the Hyundai. A gray-colored Lexus IS250 traveling behind the swerving vehicle was unable to react in time and struck the back of the Hyundai, forcing it forward into the 29-year old woman. She was thrown off the side of the freeway and into an embankment, and pronounced dead at the scene. No charges are expected.
The Hyundai Tucson
The West 610 Loop overpass
A black SUV crashed through DiMassi’s Mediterranean Restaurant on Kirby Drive just before 2:00 p.m. yesterday injuring ten people and sending four of them to the hospital. Police spoke with the driver of the SUV, who was uninjured in the accident. It appears she hit the gas instead of the brake. The injured people will no doubt look to the insurer of the SUV to cover their medical bills, however there may be a “limits issue” meaning there may not be enough insurance coverage on the SUV’s policy to pay all of the injury claims. People are often surprised to learn that even if they were a pedestrian (and not in their own vehicle), if they have Underinsured Motorist (UIM) or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage on their own automobile policy, they can make an injury claim with their own insurer. Trying to figure out what to do after a car accident can be tedious and frustrating, particularly if you’re injured. The Smith & Hassler law firm has represented injured people since 1989 and has four attorneys who are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
A deputy who is an 11-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and a single father to a 10-year old son was killed in a head on crash early this morning, and the driver who caused the accident may have been impaired by drugs or alcohol. The deputy was on his way to do a welfare check and was heading eastbound on East Wallisville Road in Highlands. A Ford Explorer SUV coming from the opposite direction crossed the center line and struck the deputy’s patrol car head-on, sending it spinning into a drainage ditch. Rescue crews cut the deputy from the wrecked car and he was taken by life flight helicopter to the hospital, but was pronounced dead. The woman driving the vehicle was taken by ground ambulance. The deputy’s name has not yet been released.
UPDATE: the deceased Deputy has been identified as Jesse Valdez. The driver of the Ford Explorer has been identified as Kelly Ivey you can view her Facebook page here. Apparently Ivey was paroled from prison only a few weeks ago where she was serving time for a possession of methamphetamine charge.
Photo credit: KHOU
Deputy Jesse Valdez, HCSO and Kelly Ivey
Kelly Ivey apparently announcing her recent release from jail
A Toyota 4Runner SUV and a Ford Escape collided early Tuesday morning on FM 2920 and Meadow Hill. Precinct Four deputies told Channel 2 News that one of the vehicles attempted a u-turn when it was struck by the other. Both drivers were trapped in their vehicles and when freed were taken by life flight helicopter to Memorial Hermann. An injured passenger was taken by ground ambulance. Officials are investigating to see if alcohol played a role in the accident.
Photo credit: Channel 2 News
An as-yet unnamed woman was killed today when her car was struck from behind by an 18-wheeler. The vehicles were on westbound Highway 225 near Preston when, according to media accounts, debris fell from a vehicle in front of the woman causing her to slow down. The 18-wheeler, approaching from behind, did not stop in time and drove partially over the rear of the woman’s vehicle, severely crushing it. Pasadena Police Department spokesman Vance Mitchell said the accident was under investigation and no decision has been made yet whether charges will be filed.
The scene of today's fatal truck accident on Highway 225
A red light runner caused a major collision last night at the intersection of Hempstead Highway and 43rd Street, injuring two people. Police said one vehicle with a male driver was heading northbound on Hempstead Highway when the driver disregarded a red light at 43rd Street, striking the side of a minivan. The collision was severe enough to flip the minivan over and through it into a ditch, trapping the driver. Fire fighters cut the roof off the minivan to free the lady driver. Both drivers were transported to the hospital and are expected to survive their injures.
Photo credit: Channel 2 News
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