Car split in two after crash on US 59 at Fondren

Firefighters rescued the occupants on a badly wrecked vehicle after an early Saturday morning accident. The Honda car was traveling on US 59 south of Fondren around 3:30 a.m. when it hit a guardrail, flipped over, struck a light pole was split in half. One person was thrown from the car, the driver another passenger were trapped and were extracted using the jaws of life. All were transported to hospital due to injuries. KHOU's story. Channel 2's story.

Photo credit: KHOU

Lakewood Forest toddler victim of tragic driveway accident

A family is devastated after a driveway back-up accident claimed the life of a 3-year old little girl in the Lakewood Forest subdivision in northwest Harris County. The accident happened in the 1100 block of Ericston Drive early in the afternoon as the father was backing his full-size pickup truck out of the driveway: he did not know his daughter was anywhere nearby. Another adult was in the home and it is not known how the little girl got out of the house. After the accident the girl's father screamed for help and a neighbor who had recently completed a first aid and CPR course responded. The neighbor drove the father and the little girl to St. Luke's Hospital which was only a mile and a half from the home, however the girl was pronounced dead on arrival. Channel 13's story is here. KHOU's story. Channel 2's story. Houston Chronicle's story.

Harris County Precinct 4 responded to the accident and characterize it as a terrible accident: there was no recklessness on the father's part. Back-over accidents are surprisingly common. The NHTSA statistic is that as many as five small children are killed each week in back-over accidents. The NHTSA offers the following suggestions to help prevent such accidents:

1. Always check your mirrors BEFORE you start backing up

2. Walk around your vehicle and check BEFORE backing up, particularly if you drive a large vehicle with high ground clearance, like a pickup truck or SUV

3. Roll down the windows and turn off the radio so you can hear what is going on outside the vehicle

4. Teach children how important it is to stand clear of vehicles

I really feel for this poor Dad. I have three young kids of my own (including a 3-year old daughter). 

Worker loading ship injured in fall at Port of Houston

A worker loading a ship at the Port of Houston fell and sustained serious injuries last night. Houston Fire Department was called to the scene at around 9:30 p.m. The worker sustained possible broken ribs and an injured back: he was sent to the hospital in serious but stable condition. A supervisor also was injured in a fall, but apparently fell a short distance - about five feet. That man injured his wrist. Channel 11's story.

Pedestrian fatally struck by car on Cravens Road in Stafford

Channel 11 is reporting that a man in his 50's was fatally struck while walking a dark road in Stafford, Texas last night. The Stafford Police Department said the accident happened at around 9:00 p.m. on Cravens Road near the intersection with Linda Street. The man was walking northbound on the shoulder of Cravens and was hit by a car driven by a young female. The pedestrian was wearing dark-colored clothing and the area of the road where the accident happened was not well lit: the driver said she never saw the pedestrian. It is not expected that charges would be filed: the driver stopped at the scene and waited for the police. Channel 13's story is here, and adds that the deceased man is Asian.

Man severely injured by crash into Highway 90 freeway pillar

A man in his late 20's sustained critical injuries Tuesday evening when his car swerved across several lanes of Highway 90 and crashed head-on into a freeway overpass support pillar. Harris County Sheriff's Office say the accident happened at around 10:00 p.m. on Highway 90 beneath E. Sam Houston Parkway N. Channel 11's report including pictures is here.

Photo credit: KHOU

Photo credit: KHOU

Locating a witness for your Houston car accident

In working to resolve a client's claim, a personal injury attorney should work to uncover all important facts in order to properly develop the claim. Car accidents are no exception. Typically a police officer arrives to investigate an accident quite some time after the accident has happened, particularly if the vehicles are not blocking lanes of traffic. Witnesses to the accident, although they may have important information that would make a big difference to the police investigation, do not always stick around to speak to the officer. Witnesses don't necessarily even stop to give their name and phone number to the drivers involved.

For this reason witnesses are often not listed in the police officer's crash report because the officer simply didn't know about them. In my personal injury practice I have hit upon a very effective way to identify accident witnesses: by making an open records request for the audio recordings of 911 calls related to the accident.  I have found that while witnesses may not want to remain at the scene, they do not mind making a cell phone call to 911 to report the accident. Sometimes during the call they describe what happened in the accident, sometimes they don't, but the 911 dispatcher always asks the caller for their name and number, which gives me a way to contact the witness and ask them what they saw.

Here are some recent example of actual cases where my obtaining the recordings of 911 calls had a dramatic impact on the case:

* My clients (a young family) were on their way home from church when they were struck on the freeway by a hit-and-run drunk driver, causing their car to crash into the concrete divider. A witness followed the hit-and-run driver who was eventually stopped by the police a long way from the accident scene, but this witness did not see the actual collision. The drunk driver claimed the collision was my client's fault for swerving into her lane. When I got the 911 audio I identified a witness not listed in the police report who saw the actual collision and said the drunk driver was at fault.

* My client's SUV collided with another driver's SUV, causing my client's vehicle to leave the feeder road and crash into a light pole, totaling her vehicle and injuring her. The police report faulted my client for the accident, and my client got a ticket for unsafe lane change. There were no witnesses in the police report. I got the audio recordings of 911 calls for the accident and identified two eyewitnesses. One eyewitness was driving behind my client at the time, and said the other driver came from a side street, ran a stop sign, t-boned my client and knocked my client's SUV into the light pole.

If you have been injured in an automobile accident, you can reach me at daragh@daraghcarter.com or visit www.daraghcarter.com

I've made many trips to the Houston
Emergency Center to collect open
records request documents.

Sixth grader Christina Lopez struck and killed by big rig in Texas City

A tragic accident in Texas City has claimed the life of sixth grader Christina Lopez. 11-year old Christina was struck and killed by a big rig truck as she waited for a school bus to take her to Levi Fry Intermediate School Monday morning. Christina was sitting at the bus stop at around 8:00 a.m. when the truck, driven by a neighbor, rounded a corner and struck her. A spokesman for Texas City Police Department, Captain Brian Goetschius, told Channel 11 reporters that they believed Christina was partially in the roadway when she was struck. Channel 2 quotes the Captain as saying that it was driver inattention or error in judgment for the driver to think he could turn the corner safely. Christina was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which was the 2900 block of 26th Street. Neighbor Adelina Moreno told reporters that when Christina's mother Nina Lopez was notified of the accident, Nina could be heard screaming. The truck driver volunteered to undergo a blood test after the accident. The school sent other children home with a letter to their parents explaining what had happened. John and Nina Lopez, Christina's parents, are devastated. Being a father of three young kids myself, I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child.

Channel 2's story of Christina's accident is here. Channel 13's story is here. The Houston Chronicle's coverage is here.

Update: Christina's funeral will be held today, Saturday September 29th, 2012.

Update: According to a story posted today (12-14-2012) by the Houston Chronicle, the 18-wheeler driver Hector A. Pena (45) has been indicted by a Galveston County jury on manslaughter charges for Christina's death. Pena is free on a $50,000 bond.

Sixth grader Christina Lopez was tragically killed when she
was struck by an 18-wheeler just yards from her Texas City home

Worker dies in accident at Stolthaven Houston chemical plant

Although details are sparse, local news is reporting that a worker was killed yesterday in an industrial accident at the Stolthaven Houston plant in southeast Harris County. Around noon a piece of heavy construction equipment shifted, pinning the worker against a wall. Other workers used a bulldozer for pull the earth mover away from the pinned worker so paramedics could reach him. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Because there was an on-the-job fatality OSHA will investigate the incident. The Stolthaven facility is located at 15602 Jacintoport Boulevard. The 40-year old worker's name has not yet been released. Channel 13's report is here. I will update the story with any new information, but typically there is not much specific detail available on the cause of accidents such as this outside of the OSHA investigation or any investigation by law enforcement.

The red arrow points to the earth mover involved in the fatal accident.

OSHA will investigate yesterday's fatality at Stolthaven Houston.

Stolt-Nielsen's facility at Jacintoport Boulevard in Houston

South Texas Trucking 18-wheeler accident on North 610 Loop today

There was an 18-wheeler wreck late this afternoon outside my office in eastbound lanes of the 1400 block of the North 610 Loop W. I couldn't tell what happened or who hit who. The black Toyota Tacoma pickup truck appeared to be damaged in the front and rear and the 18-wheeler was damaged to the driver's side front. The big rig came to rest touching the concrete median. The Kenworth 18-wheeler appears to belong to South Texas Trucking based in Houston. Houston Fire Department responded, as did the customary hundred or so tow trucks. 

19-year old killed in high speed pickup truck crash in Clear Lake

A 19-year old driver was killed early this morning in a crash that police believe resulted from speeds around 90 miles per hour.  The accident happened on Clear Lake City Boulevard near Whitlock at around 2:30 a.m.  Houston Police Department officers arrived on scene to find the driver and a passenger critically hurt: the driver was pronounced dead and the passenger was transported to the emergency room with a broken leg.  While the investigation is ongoing, investigators impression is that the driver was speeding eastbound when the pickup hit a curb and left the roadway, crashing into a group of trees. This is a tragic example of the danger posed by high speed driving: excessive speed can turn what might otherwise have been a survivable accident into a fatality by increasing vehicle damage and the physical forces on the occupants of the vehicle.

Channel 13's report is here.

HPD officers work the scene of this morning's fatal crash.

PT Cruiser driver killed in 18-wheeler accident on Airport Boulevard

The driver of a Chrysler PT Cruiser was killed yesterday evening in a collision with an 18-wheeler. According to Channel 11's online report, the 18-wheeler was making a turn when the PT Cruiser struck the side of the trailer.  The accident happened just before 6:00 p.m. on Airport Boulevard at Kopman Drive.

Photo credit: KHOU Channel 11

Wrong way accident on I-45 at Dallas

Yet another major accident has happened on Interstate 45 due to a wrong way driver who may have been driving drunk.  The crash happened on I-45 near Dallas at around 2:00 a.m. last night.  A car and pickup truck crashed head-on, sending the woman in the car to the hospital. According to Channel 13's report the pickup driver wasn't injured (but then, "not injured" is a relative term).  Police say the woman driving the car went the wrong direction on a ramp and is suspected of being drunk. The crash is still under investigation.

The woman driving this car may have been drunk when she went the wrong
way on I-45 and hit a pickup truck head on. Photo credit: ABC Ch. 13.

Baytown pedestrian injured by hit and run driver

A woman was found lying injured in a Baytown parking lot early this morning, apparently the victim of a hit and run driver.  The accident happened around 2:30 a.m. on W. Baker Road at Garth Road, according to Baytown P.D. The woman was taken to hospital via life flight helicopter, and although she was seriously injured she was able to tell the police she was hit by a car.  The investigation is ongoing, Channel 11's story is here.

1 dead, 4 hurt when Mustang crashes off Galveston seawall

18-year old Irvin Ruiz died Sunday when a 2004 Ford Mustang driven by an 18-year old friend left the roadway and went over the Galveston seawall near 1st Street at the far east end of the island. The four others in the car were the driver Aaron Ceballos (19), Luis Aguirre (16), Alexis Williamson (14) and Celeste Plesada (14). Ruiz was a student in the Texas City Independent School District and had planned to join the U.S. Army after graduation. Police are investigating the accident and have not yet determined whether Ceballos will face charges. Channel 2's article is here.

Update: according to a Galveston Daily News story published 09/22/12, the 19-year old driver was unlicensed.

High speed crash in Bellaire splits car in two, kills driver

After a police chase and high speed crash, this Nissan 240
split in two. The driver was killed in the accident. Photo credit: KHOU.

Photo credit: KHOU

 

Photo credit: KHOU

Fatal car accident on 610 North Loop near Ella

A major car accident claimed one life last night. The crash happened around 1:30 am near the exit for Ella Boulevard on the 610 North Loop West, eastbound lanes. Police are saying a gray colored Infinity G35 sedan stalled in the middle of the freeway with no light on and the driver of an approaching black Dodge Charger didn't see the vehicle and crashed into the rear of the Infinity. The impact was apparently so severe the Infinity spun around 180 degrees and was hit again by the Charger, front bumper to front bumper. Tragically the driver of the Infinity, identified as Kyle Webb, died at the scene and a female passenger, identified as Kyle's sister, was transported to the hospital in serious but stable condition. According to one media report, the driver of the Dodge Charger was not injured. Channel 2's report is here. Channel 13's report is here. Houston Chronicle here. 

Police advise that if your vehicle is experiencing mechanical problems, do your best to get the vehicle to the side of the roadway. If you can't, and you are stuck in a travel lane, get out of the vehicle and stand somewhere safe until help arrives.

Rear-end car accident followed by exploding gas tank

Nasty rear end car accident, apparently in Russia. Presumably the fuel tank ruptured on the front vehicle, hence the fire. Looks like everyone walked away from it fortunately.

Two killed in helicopter crash near Highway 90

Yesterday afternoon a man and woman were killed in a helicopter crash in northeast Harris County very close to Highway 90. Christopher Yeager of Houston, 40, and his passenger Joyce Ann Ates of Midwest City, Okalahoma, 60, were in the R-22 Robinson helicopter at around 3:30 p.m. when witnesses say the helicopter went into a tailspin and then crashed to the ground. [Note that in Channel 11's story the male victim is identified as John Yeager]. The helicopter exploded shortly after impact. Some brave and quick-thinking bystanders did what they could to try and rescue Christopher and Joyce, including using fire extinguishers that were rushed to the site by employees of a nearby pipe yard belonging to Oilfield Pipeline Company, but sadly they could not be saved. The crash site was secured by the DPS and the NTSB will dispatch investigators to try and determine the cause of the crash. Tom Latson of the NTSB told reporters that a complete investigation of the wreckage will be done, including probably removing the wreckage of the R-22 to a location near Dallas. Latson said the helicopter involved is operated by Helicopter Services Incorporated based in Spring, Texas at Hooks Airport and was possibly out on a photography flight. Channel 13's report indicates they contacted Helicopter Services about the incident, but a woman who worked there hung up on them. Kudos to the bystanders who did their best to save the victims, and sympathies to the victims' families. What a terrible tragedy.

Channel 11's story is here. Channel 2's story is here. Channel 13's story is here. Houston Chronicle story.

Photo credit: Air 11 Helicopter

Photo credit: Nick Alexeev

A Robinson R-22 helicopter, the type involved in
yesterday's deadly crash.

Suspected drunk driver fatally strikes pedestrian on Scott Street

At around 1:00 a.m. this morning a suspected drunk driver wrecked his car, killing a female pedestrian. The 29-year old driver of the silver-colored sedan was heading south on Scott Street when he struck the curb and went into the grassy median, striking the pedestrian. The woman was dragged a short a distance by the car and died at the scene. The driver was taken into custody on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. If the driver is determined to be intoxicated he will likely be charged with intoxication manslaughter. According to Channel 11's report, there were beer cans in the vehicle and the driver of the car told police that woman was "in his way." Channel 2's report is here. Channel 13's report is here.

Ezequiel Martinez in fatal accident when Ameriwaste garbage truck rolls into ditch

26-year old sanitation worker Ezequiel Martinez was killed Friday in an on-the-job accident when he was riding on the back of an Ameriwaste sanitation truck and it rolled into a ditch. Martinez was collecting curb side trash and riding on the back of the truck as it traveled north on Avenue T in Santa Fe, Texas. The truck left the roadway and turned over in a ditch, pinning Martinez, according to DPS Trooper Colin Kolupski. KHOU Channel 11's story is here. 

12-year old boy victim of pit bull dog attack on Bauman in Houston

A 12-year old boy was rushed to hospital this past Monday morning when a neighbor's pit bull dog escaped and bit him on the arm. According to Channel 11's report, the boy was walking to school in the 7900 block of Bauman Road when the attack happened. Investigating officers said it appeared the dog had pushed a cinder block to the side and escaped through a gap in the home's fence. One boy said this was not the first time the dog had attacked and recounted another incident when the dog started to bite and rip the pants of kids walking past the home. The dog's owner Raydene Ambriz however claims the dog is frequently provoked by kids who will kick at the fence or throw stones at the dog. Fortunately the boy's injuries were not life threatening and he was taken to LBJ Hospital for treatment. The pit bull will be quarantined by BARC for 10-days and checked for rabies, a standard procedure when a person is bitten.

To learn more about Texas law on dog bites and when a dog's owner may be liable for bite victim's injuries, visit Houston personal injury attorney Daragh Carter's web page on dog bite injuries. 

Photo credit: Andrew Horansky KHOU 11 News

Photo credit: Andrew Horansky KHOU 11 News