Recent Blog Posts
New Braunfels – 18-Wheeler Rear-Ends Vehicle on I-35
A personal injury accident can happen in the blink of an eye. One minute you are minding your own business behind the wheel of your vehicle, then the next thing you know an 18-Wheeler rear-ends you. This is just what happened to a motorist sitting in traffic due to a separate wreck on Interstate 35 near New Braunfels, Texas.
A pickup truck rolled over in the northbound lanes and blocked traffic around seven in the morning on May 24th. The 39 year old driver only sustained minor injuries, but was taken to Bexar County to Central Texas Medical Center for observation. The responding police, fire and EMS workers shut down every lane in order to conduct their investigation and the cleanup. Motorists were at a standstill for well over two hours.
Stuck in a traffic jam in the hot Texas heat, the driver of a semi-truck rear-ended the driver in front of him or her. Police have not released any further information on this separate personal injury accident. However, thanks to the truck driver not paying attention, traffic was delayed longer. This is due to a second set of responding officers and an entire new accident investigation.
Lawsuit Settled in Death of Four Year Old
In 2006, four year old Maya Hirsch was struck and killed by a car driven by Michael Roth, who was 57. Maya, with her big eyes and sweet smile, her mother, and older brother were leaving the Lincoln Park Zoo when Roth who was driving a black Lexus with a license plate reading “OCEAN 21” struck all three. Roth, however, continued driving after he hit the family dragging Maya under the car. Maya’s brother and mother were slightly injured. Roth fled the scene, but his vanity plates led police directly to him. He was arrested, and in 2007, was convicted for Maya’s death. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison and died while he was serving his sentence. Maya’s parents sued Roth’s estate and the City of Chicago alleging that the City did not have appropriate safety signals and traffic controls in place. On the eve of the trial scheduled for April 30, 2012, the City and Maya’s family agreed to a settlement. According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago residents had been complaining about the intersection where the accident happened for years prior. The City did not take any action to make the intersection safer until after the accident occurred. Despite the settlement, Maya’s family will feel the loss of their beloved child every minute of every day. To honor her, Maya’s family is attempting to make the streets safer to prevent other families from being in the same situation. They have started a non-profit organization that is committed to increasing pedestrian safety. These situations are extremely delicate and emotional. If a loved one has suffered personal injury as a result of negligence, contact a top New Braunfels, Texas personal injury and wrongful death attorney today.
Safe Driving Tips for Sharing Texas Roads with Commercial Trucks
Many semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles travel on Texas’s highways each day. In Comal County, I-35 and I-10 are host to thousands of trucks each week. If you travel in or around New Braunfels, Texas, chances are you’re going to frequently be driving near a big-rig or other large vehicle. Due to their massive size, wrecks involving 18-wheelers often have devastating results. It’s important to take every step available to minimize the chances that you’ll be involved in an accident with a big-rig in Texas.
Many of the safe driving tips for traveling near trucks are also true for driving in general. For example:
- Pay attention & don’t drive when you’re overly tired
- Don’t quickly change lanes or change lanes without using your turn signal
- Adjust your speed to account for the weather and traffic patterns
Comal County Head on Crash Injures Three
KGNB News reported that on Friday May 11, 2012, shortly after 8pm, a Ford F250 pickup truck and a Chevy Silverado crashed into each other on FM 306. The head-on collision shut down FM 306 for nearly an hour and a half. The closure caused major road delays and back-ups.
According to the New Braunfels Police, the Silverado was driving west on 306 towards Canyon Lake, and began to pass another vehicle that was also traveling west. The Silverado went over the center line as the Ford F250, heading east on 306, drew nearer.. Although the investigation has not been completed, the police believe that both vehicles attempted to swerve to avoid the collision. Nevertheless, the vehicles crashed into one another.
The twenty year old driver of the Silverado was barricaded in his vehicle. Emergency crews had to extricate the man from his truck and due to extensive injuries, the driver was airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio. There are no current reports of the condition of the driver of the Silverado.
Seguin Man killed in Car Wreck
On May 12, 2012, a vehicle with five passengers crashed into a vehicle driven by Harold Wayne Holliman. According to the Seguin Gazette, Mr. Holliman was crossing FM 78 onto FM 1620, when an SUV carrying five people crashed into the passenger side of his car. Mr. Holliman had stopped his vehicle in the median, waiting for the appropriate time to cross. The driver of a third vehicle waived him on signaling that it was clear. Relying on the third driver’s waive, Mr. Holliman proceeded to cross FM 1620 when the SUV crashed into the passenger side of his vehicle. The impact was so great that Mr. Holliman, from Seguin, died at the scene of the accident.
One person from the SUV was airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio, and the other four individuals were taken to the closest hospital, Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. There are no reports on their current status.
Four Vehicle Accident Injures Thirteen in Seguin
According to a story in the Seguin Gazette, four vehicles were involved in a major crash on South Highway 123 on Friday, April 27 at 6:30 in the morning. A Seguin ISD school bus, a tractor trailer, and two passenger vehicles collided near Fox Trotter Lane when an eighteen wheeler transporting gravel attempted to pass on the left side of a PT Cruiser. The report states that the PT Cruiser pulled to the side of the road to allow the big rig to pass. The big rig did not make a clean pass and side swiped the driver side of the PT Cruiser causing the PT Cruiser to spin out of control onto the highway. The PT Cruiser ended up directly in front of the school bus and the two collided; a Ford Focus that was behind the school bus also became involved in the crash at that point.
The eighteen wheeler lost control as it attempted to pass the PT Cruiser and landed on its side in a ditch off the roadway. The truck exploded into flames, which spread to the other vehicles and destroyed all four. Firefighters and emergency medical providers were immediately called to scene of the accident.
Texas Police Officer Dies in Wreck on I-35
As reported by pro8news.com, a Laredo police officer lost his life, and his wife remains in critical condition, following a tragic crash that happened yesterday on Interstate 35. The Texas Department of Public Safety hasn’t released the couple’s names, pending family notification of the accident. Texas DPS Corporal Frank Hernandez said that department has limited information regarding the wreck, but confirmed that it involved a motorcycle that ended up in the highway median. The Laredo Police Department officer involved was off-duty at the time of the collision, for which the cause remains unknown. Officials are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, including why the driver lost control of the bike, and if any other vehicles were involved in the crash. “screenshot via pro8news” Following the wreck, numerous law enforcement officials rushed to the scene of the serious traffic crash. According to the news article, the deceased officer’s wife is hospitalized in San Antonio, where she is reported as responsive yet critical. Interstate-35 is the site of many Texas motorcycle, car and truck accidents each year, including a number of fatal motor vehicle wrecks. Anyone who is injured in any type of accident on a Texas roadway, or who loses a loved one in a wreck in Texas, should consult an experienced San Antonio personal injury lawyer for advice. Even minor car wrecks can result in injuries with long-term implications, and if a family member has died in a crash, there could be grounds for filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas state court. Due to the complexity of Texas’s personal injury laws, it’s best to immediately contact a San Antonio, Texas car and truck wreck lawyer if you’re considering legal action following a Texas motor vehicle crash.
Recent Texas Truck Wreck One of Many Occuring Each Year
According to kltv.com, a major motor vehicle crash occurred just after 1:00 in the afternoon on May 4, 2012 in Panola County Texas. Apparently, an 18-wheeler and a pick-up crashed on US 59, South of Carthage. The big-rig was carrying a load of 2×4 pieces of wood and, upon impact, the wood spread over the highway. It is currently unclear as to whether the drivers of the vehicle had life threatening injuries, but two medical helicopters immediately arrived at the scene.
According to a report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) www.ntsb.gov , Texas has a higher rate of wrecks involving 18-wheelers, big rigs, semi-trucks, and other commercial vehicles than 49 other states. Some of the reasons for this disparity include size of Texas, the number of freeways and highways in Texas, the long stretches of highways in the state and the ever changing Texas weather conditions.
Three Wrecks on I-35 in One Day
As anyone who travels through Comal County on a regular basis likely knows, Texas’s Interstate 35 is a busy highway and the scene of numerous car wrecks, both minor and serious, each month.
As reported by New Braunfel’s KNGB, three accidents happened here on the same day, Sunday April 29, injuring numerous people and causing significant delays in traffic in the area. The first crash took place just north of New Braunfels, when a small vehicle apparently swerved to avoid hitting another car, then bounced off the center divider, shooting across multiple lanes of traffic, and landing on the outside shoulder of I-35. The car’s driver was taken to a Bexar County hospital with unknown injuries.
A short time later, just south of the scene of the first accident, another vehicle hit the center retaining wall. Luckily, no one was injured in this wreck, although the combination of the two accidents delayed traffic on I-35.
The third car wreck happened in the late afternoon on northbound Interstate 35, when a passenger vehicle drove under a big-rig. The front of the car was sliced off by the semi-truck’s tires. Although the two females in the car were taken to a New Braunfels hospital, reportedly their injuries are minor.
Seguin Wreck Involving Truck, Bus, and Two Cars Injures 13
A serious wreck involving a bus, a semi-truck, and two passenger vehicles, shut down parts of State Highway 123 south of Seguin for nearly the entire day on Friday.
According to a spokesperson from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS,) the accident occurred early on Friday morning, and began when a PT Cruiser pulled off the side of the highway to allow the big-rig to pass – but when it did, it clipped the smaller vehicle, causing it to spin in front of the bus. The bus his the PT Cruiser, and a Ford Focus that was following the bus was also involved in the crash. At some point, the mangled vehicles ignited, causing them to all end up charred.
An Seguin Today article relayed that the driver of the 18-wheeler, 58-year-old Jesus Martinez of Seguin, was airlifted to University Hospital, where he was last reported in critical condition. The drivers of both cars, a female in her 50’s and a female in her 60’s, were also hospitalized. Nine students were on the Seguin ISD bus at the time of the accident. Eight were treated and released, and one, an eight-grader from Barnes Middle School, remains hospitalized and is believed to be in stable condition, along with the school bus driver. DPS continues their investigation into the accident.
Hire a Firm that
Works for You.
Award-Winning
James Bettersworth has been recognized as an Elite Lawyer since 2019.
25+ Years of Experience
Our firm knows how to win complex personal injury cases for our clients.
Hands-On Legal Process
We are always attentive to our clients' needs and available to answer their questions.
Call 830-606-0404 or contact us below
telephone
830-606-0404fax
830-626-1414follow us
From our office in New Braunfels, we serve clients throughout South Central Texas, including New Braunfels, San Antonio, Seguin, Bulverde, Kyle, Garden Ridge, Spring Branch, Comal County, San Marcos, Buda, Gonzalez, Karnes City, Karnes County, Converse, Selma, Universal City, Kerrville, Canyon Lake, Hays County, Schertz, Marion, and Guadalupe County.
Results listed are not a guarantee or indication of future case results.
110 West Faust Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130
830-606-0404
