Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Two people were killed on US 290 in Houston this morning when an 18-wheeler crashed into a stalled vehicle.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office reported that a 1997 Ford Probe broke down in the right lane of the westbound lanes near Mason. A 32-year old woman who had been driving the Ford Probe got out and tried to signal to the approaching big rig without success. The big rig and the Ford Probe caught fire, killing the big rig driver and a male occupant of the Ford Probe.

A driver was killed in a single car accident on Orem in southeast Houston early Sunday morning. The crash scene is a few blocks west of Hobby airport. Apparently the vehicle was traveling at high speed when it left the roadway, flipping over and striking a tree. A passerby saw the wreckage of the gold-colored Honda and called police.

A motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a family in a Ford pickup truck last night. The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 6 and Yorktown Crossing in northwest Houston. According to a media report, the motorcycle had run several red lights before the crash. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, and it was reported that the family were not injured.

A woman was killed in a collision with an 18-wheeler at the intersection of McCarty Street and Mesa Drive. KHOU’s report says the woman, driving a pickup, disregarded a red traffic light and hit the side of the 18-wheeler as it was turning through the intersection. The woman’s pickup truck traveled under the 18-wheeler, severely damaging the passenger compartment. The woman died at the scene. The picture below, from a story on KHOU’s web site, shows a trailer that appears to belong to Central Freight Lines, Inc.

An alleged hit-and-run driver is in police custody after a serious car accident on W Mount Houston at Veterans Memorial last night. Police say the hit-and-run driver struck the rear of a black-colored Cadillac sedan that was stopped at a red light, causing major damage to the Cadillac. The at fault driver then fled the scene of the crash but passed out while driving and struck a pole by the roadside. Two occupants of the Cadillac were taken to hospital in serious condition, not surprising given the amount of damage to the back of their vehicle.

The injured victims’ Cadillac

Two people were killed and several others injured in a four vehicle accident at the intersection of Beltway 8 feeder and Antoine. According to media accounts of the accident, it started when a 17-year old driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck ran through a red light, colliding with an SUV occupied by a family of four. A 34-year old woman and a 15-year old boy in the SUV lost their lives; the father, driving the SUV, and a daughter, riding in the rear seat, were transported to hospital.

After it was struck by the pickup truck the SUV rolled onto two other vehicles causing additional injuries to those occupants.

An article that recently appeared on the Houston Chronicle’s web site states that Houston leads the entire nation in red light runner fatal accidents. T-bone type crashes have perhaps greater potential to cause serious injury or death than any other type of motor vehicle collision because of the proximity of the point of impact to the occupants of the vehicle.

Running a red light to try and get where you are going a few minutes sooner is simply not worth the risk and, as in his tragic case, endangers the lives of other innocent drivers.

The victim’s SUV and the Dodge Ram that ran the red light

The victims’ Tahoe where it came to rest

The HOV lane for Houston’s Eastex Freeway was shut down this morning due to a multi-vehicle crash that included an 18-wheeler. At around 7:30 a.m. the 18-wheeler crashed through the concrete barrier that separates the main lanes from the HOV lane. News media pictures show an SUV lying on its driver’s side.

A driver has been charged with intoxication manslaughter for a fatal crash on FM 1960 near Fritz Oak Place at 2:00 a.m. this morning, and apparently had his unrestrained 4-year old daughter with him in the vehicle at the time.

According to Channel 13 Houston, the alleged drunk driver was heading westbound on FM 1960 when he attempted to make a u-turn. His SUV pulled in front of the victim’s vehicle, and the victim’s vehicle t-boned the drunk driver. The victim died instantly. The alleged drunk driver wasn’t hurt, but his 4-year old daughter was transported to the emergency room.

The victim’s vehicle

The alleged drunk driver’s SUV

All inbound lanes of Interstate 45 (Gulf Freeway) were briefly closed early this morning after a two car accident. A Chevrolet Malibu sedan was heading northbound when, for some reason, the vehicle struck the center divider wall and spun out of control, stopping in a travel lane in the freeway. The Malibu was then hit by an approaching yellow-colored Chevy Camaro. The driver of the Malibu was thrown from the vehicle in the crash. Remarkably neither driver sustained life threatening injuries according to Channel 13. The accident happened around 12:30 a.m. and the freeway was reopened by 4:15 a.m.

A woman was walking along Crosby-Lynchburg Road around 2:00 p.m. Monday afternoon when an out-of-control pickup truck struck her, pinning her beneath the vehicle.