Summer began last week, and we all know that summer in Texas brings lots of traffic and very hot roadways, which means more hazards on the roadways. This past week gave us a preview of what this summer could hold for Texas drivers if we’re not careful.
To begin the weekend, a fatal accident on last Friday afternoon at about 3:30 p.m. ended up shutting down all lanes on the Dallas North Tollway for several hours, after a triple-axle truck with a drilling rig mounted on its bed suffered a blowout as it was traveling southbound on the Tollway. The blowout caused the truck to swerve somewhat, but it also caused the drilling rig arm to move, so that it was hanging over the northbound lanes, where a northbound pickup truck ran into it, the impact killing the driver.
The driver of the drilling rig, which was registered to Dallas Foundation Drilling Company, Inc., escaped without injury. It wasn’t until 8:15 p.m. that all lanes were opened again.
Then, last Saturday, the first official day of summer, a man died in an accident in Castro County, as 31-year-old Dimmitt man Luis Fernando Garcia was driving northbound on Farm-to-Market Road 1055 near State Highway 86, at about 1:30 p.m. At the same time, 55-year-old Richard Rickey Ramirez of Tulia was driving his tractor-trailer, which was towing another tractor-trailer, eastbound on Highway 86.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Garcia decided to ignore the stop sign at Highway 86, and the tractor-trailer slammed into his 2001 Jeep. Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene. Ramirez was not injured. DPS noted that both drivers were wearing seat belts.
Then, at about 2:30 a.m. last Sunday morning, a man was killed in a two-vehicle accident that happened in Kaufman County. According to DPS, the crash occurred in the 6000 block of West U.S. Highway 80, when a Chevy Tahoe SUV and a Chevy pickup truck collided as they were traveling side-by-side in the highway’s westbound lanes. The crash caused both vehicles to roll over. The pickup truck, which was being driven by 29-year-old Christopher Newton of Forney, also caught fire. Newton was apparently trapped inside at the time and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Tahoe had two people inside; 26-year-old Mathew Bagley of Balch Springs, and 25-year-old Holli Penn of Garland. Both of them were transported to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
The cause of each of these accidents is under investigation by DPS, and fault is to be determined in each one. Viewed together, these accidents point up the hazards of driving on Texas highways in the summer. Be careful out there, and always make sure you’re alert, with no distractions, as you drive.
Of course, even if you’re careful, things can happen, because someone else may not be so careful. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in an accident, please contact the Texas Car Accident Injury Lawyer at Hill Law Firm as soon as possible to protect your rights.