Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Channel 2 News is reporting an automobile versus pedestrian collision this morning in northwest Harris County.  A car struck a mom and her two-year old toddler outside the Kids R Kids daycare at 6020 North Eldridge Parkway.  According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office the mom and child were in the parking lot when a vehicle backed into them shortly before 8:00am. Both were taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital to be treated, reportedly for minor injuries. Deputies believe the collision was an accident and are investigating.

Even at low speeds, a pedestrian versus vehicle collision is no contest and the pedestrian always fares worst. Auto-pedestrian accidents often result in serious injuries such as road rash, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries. If you, a friend or a family member have been involved in a pedestrian accident, remember to document any obvious signs of trauma such as cuts and bruises by taking good quality, well-lit photographs. Keep any damaged clothing. You can contact the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation: over our 20-year history Smith & Hassler has successfully handled hundreds of auto-pedestrian accidents for injured clients.

Diana DeLeon has been identified as a pedestrian who was hit and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Highway 249 near Perry Road. Diana was hit at around 2:00am while walking eastbound on the inside lane in the 2100 block of Highway 249. Sadly she died at the scene. The car is described as a small, black four-door car that should have front end damage. Anyone with information should contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-674-5393 and help bring the hit-and-run driver to justice.

An off-duty Missouri City Police Officer was injured Saturday August 27, 2011 when he was struck by a vehicle driven by suspected car burglars. The officer was working a side job providing security for a jewelry store in the Post Oak Plaza shopping district not far from the Galleria. He was escorting a customer to their car when he saw two black males in a silver four-door pull into the parking lot: the immediately got out and started peering in the windows of a parked Chevrolet Tahoe. Concerned that the men were about to break in to the Tahoe the officer approached and the men jumped into their vehicle and sped off, hitting the officer in the leg with their vehicle. The officer responded by drawing his pistol and opening fire on the vehicle. Several bullets found their mark and hit the car but it is unknown if either of the occupants were hit. The silver-colored vehicle also struck a parked car as it fled and should have obvious damage in addition to the bullet holes. Fortunately the officer is expected to recover from his leg injury. Anyone with information to share about the identity of the men or their vehicle should call HPD or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Here is Channel 13’s coverage of the incident.

Channel 2 is reporting a fatal auto versus pedestrian accident that occurred this morning. According to investigators Deborah Destin was crossing the Sheldon Road exit ramp on I-10 before 5:00am when she was fatally struck by a car. According to deputies 35-year old William Mason was driving to work and did not see Ms. Destin. Channel 2’s report indicates that Mr. Mason was cooperating with the investigation and it was not expected that charges would be filed against him.

The southbound lanes of Houston’s Gulf Freeway (I-45) were shut down for a few hours this morning after a deadly collision involving a car and a pedestrian. The pedestrian was hit on the freeway at around 1:00am, but the car that hit him was found a couple of miles away from where the collision occurred with the pedestrian‘s body in the car that hit him. Witnesses saw the male car driver strike the pedestrian. The pedestrian was wearing a fast food uniform of some sort and was apparently walking on the shoulder of the freeway after his car broke down. The collision was apparently very severe and the pedestrian was almost certainly killed instantly: his leg was severed in the initial impact and the leg was found at the scene of the original collision. The car kept going and ended up at Beamer near Kirkvalley. A Precinct 8 Constable pulled over the driver and arrested him: part of the pedestrian’s body was still in the windshield of the car. ABC Channel 13 story here. The Houston Chronicle’s story is here, and according to the Chronicle’s report the pedestrian was trying to cross the freeway at the time of the collision. KHOU’s story is here, and states the pedestrian victim was walking along the shoulder, not crossing the freeway.

A pedestrian is dead after a hit-and-run collision in Houston near the intersection of Westheimer and Fountainview. The male pedestrian was trying to walk across Westheimer at around 1:20AM when he was hit by a pickup truck. The victim died at the scene and the pickup driver fled. According to investigators, if the driver had remained at the scene he/she would not have faced charges because it appears the pedestrian was jaywalking. Police are looking for the driver of the pickup. Channel 13 Eyewitness News’ story is here.

A toll booth worker died yesterday evening in a single vehicle car accident according to a Channel 13 Eyewitness News report when the driver of a black Camaro heading westbound on the Sam Houston Tollway crashed his sports car. The accident happened at around 11:00pm. Apparently the Camaro driver crashed into a heavy concrete barrier designed to protect the toll booth and the Camaro went airborne and then crashed down onto the toll employee who was standing next the booth in a closed toll lane. The employee was knocked 50 yards by the impact and was pronounced dead at the scene: the Camaro slid to a stop and came to rest on its roof. The Camaro driver was taken to the hospital in stable condition and tests will be performed to see if he had alcohol in his system at the time of the wreck.

Toll booth areas tend to be open area that are usually very well lit at night time and signs approaching toll booths tell drivers to slow down as they approach. It is difficult to see how a driver paying proper attention to the road ahead and traveling at an appropriate speed could be involved in an accident such as this. Precinct 4 Constables are investigating the cause of the accident and the Toll Road Authority is working to repair a wrecked toll booth. A report by Channel 2 News identifies the driver of the Camaro as being female, not male, and states the Camaro was speeding prior to the deadly crash.

News Channel 11 is reporting a tragic accident at a family home on Friday May 6, 2011. One year old Davon Reese’s grandfather accidentally ran over Davon with his Lincoln Navigator in the driveway of the family’s home at around 3:30pm in the 18000 block of Desert Marigold. Apparently the grandfather had no idea he had struck the child as he was leaving to pick up another child: he learned of the accident when he returned. The child was transported to Houston North West Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The report indicates there was some confusion among family members about who was taking care of Davon at the time of the accident. Paramedics tended to the grandfather at the scene, who was extremely distraught over what had happened. ABC News’ story is here.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a woman crossing Westheimer near Dunvale was fatally struck by a car the afternoon of Thursday April 28, 2011. The accident happened around 2:00PM. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver who struck the pedestrian waited for police. HPD said that the fatal accident remains under investigation. The photograph below appears to show the deceased pedestrian on the vehicle’s roof.  Click2Houston.com has reported on the same incident however the Click2Houston article identifies the pedestrian as male and states the man had been shopping at Wal-Mart immediately before the accident, then he was struck when attempting to cross four lanes of traffic not at an intersection.

A female pedestrian was fatally struck by a car on Westheimer

The Chronicle is reporting an automobile versus pedestrian accident that happened around 3:00pm on Monday April 25, 2011 on Clear Valley Drive at Glade Hollow in north Harris County. A teenage driver operating his mother’s car took a corner too fast and lost control, leaving the roadway and hitting two teenagers who were walking on the sidewalk.  The teen driver now faces aggravated assault charges, according to the article. The injured teenagers went from the scene of the car accident to their homes and were then transported by ambulance to area hospitals in unknown condition. According to the article the teenage driver did not have permission to use his mother’s car and after hitting the pedestrians he left the scene but returned later and was arrested. Click2Houston.com’s report of the incident is available here. According to that article, the students had just stepped off a school bus before they were hit by the car, which witnesses report was traveling 70 to 80MPH in a subdivision before it jumped the curb. A witness named Virgil Ford is quoted as saying the teenager was showboating in his mother’s Cadillac. Another witness named Zerrion Mallery claimed his knee was badly injured by a mailbox struck by the speeding Cadillac. According to the Precinct 4 Constable’s office, one victim sustained a broken leg.

A teenager injured by a speeding Cadillac that mounted the sidewalk on Clear Valley

Even at low speeds, a pedestrian versus vehicle collision is no contest and the pedestrian always fares worst. Auto-pedestrian accidents often result in serious injuries such as road rash, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries. If you, a friend or a family member have been involved in a pedestrian accident, remember to document any obvious signs of trauma such as cuts and bruises by taking good quality, well-lit photographs. Keep any damaged clothing. You can contact the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation: over our 20-year history Smith & Hassler has successfully handled hundreds of auto-pedestrian accidents for injured clients.