Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

A two vehicle accident in the early hours of Sunday morning critically injured four children, and the woman driving their car, Lourdes Lopez, is suspected of driving drunk. The Jeep Liberty carrying the children collided with a Dodge Ram dually pickup truck at the intersection of Fry Road and the Interstate 10 feeder road in west Houston. Police say 22-year old Lopez was driving northbound on Fry Road when she ran a red light and the eastbound pickup truck t-boned the driver’s side of the Jeep. The four children are ages 1 through 12. One of the children was ejected from the Jeep. Lopez and a 45-year old man in the front seat of the Jeep were treated for non-life threatening injuries. According to a Channel 11 story, police said tests confirmed Lopez was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

This Dodge Ram pickup t-boned the Jeep Liberty

Police say Lourdes Lopez was driving this Jeep Liberty while intoxicated

75-year old Neil Smith has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in connection with the death of 54-year old Danny Hunt.  On Saturday November 3rd Danny Hunt and his son Chase Hunt, an off-duty Galveston County Deputy Sheriff, were riding their motorcycles on Highway 6 near FM 2004 it Hitchcock, Texas around 1:00 a.m. Investigators say that at some point Chase’s baseball cap fell off so the men pulled to the side of the road and chase went to retrieve his hat.  At that point Neil Smith’s Ford SUV struck Danny Hunt. Smith continued driving for about a half mile until damage to the SUV forced him to stop.  Danny Hunt was pronounced dead at the scene. Channel 2’s story is here. Galveston Daily News story here. This weekend marked the conclusion of the Lone Star Rally in Galveston, a motorcycle rally that drew 500,000 people to Galveston Island. According to initial police reports, 19 people were charged with drunken driving, including Neil Smith.

Neil Smith

Channel 13 is reporting that a city inspector and an off-duty HCSO deputy were hospitalized after they were struck by a car at a Clear Lake construction site. The deputy and the worker were standing outside the deputies truck on Seawolf Drive near Bay Area Boulevard around 1:45 a.m. last night when a dark green Chrysler Sebring convertible crashed into the back of a blue Dodge Ram pickup truck, pushing it into the men. While investigators were working the first accident, a second car came through the construction barriers. Drivers of both vehicles were tested for possible intoxication. According to Channel 11’s report, the woman driving the Sebring has an extensive criminal record.

The alleged drunk driver's Chrysler Sebring

The off duty deputy's Dodge Ram pickup

Early this morning a man and woman were killed in an accident shortly after making some purchases at a Shell gas station on Kirby Drive near the Southwest Freeway, and police believe the driver responsible was high on Phencyclidine (PCP) at the time. The man and woman were in a blue-colored Chevrolet Impala and were stopped waiting to leave the gas station parking lot to turn right on the service road when the driver’s side of their vehicle was hit by the suspect traveling at a high rate of speed. The suspect’s vehicle appears to be an Impala also, only black. The victims were killed instantly. Police say the driver who caused the accident seemed to have little comprehension of what happened: he was taken to Ben Taub to be checked out and will face two counts of intoxication manslaughter. Channel 2 coverage. Channel 13 coverage. Channel 11 coverage.

Photo credit: KHOU

The victims were leaving this Shell station at Kirby Drive and 59

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.

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