Noah and Jack Melton E. Coli sickening traced to Coco Loco restaurant in College Station

Brazos County health officials have identified the source of an E. Coli outbreak that sicked at least five people in April as the Coco Loco restaurant in College Station, Texas. Noah Melton, the youngest victim of the outbreak, was released from Texas Children's Hospital on Tuesday. Noah's older brother Jack was also sickened: Jack had been previously released from hospital. Noah is 18-months old and Jack is 4-years old.

Dr. Eric Wilke with the Brazos County Health Authority spoke to the press and said the probably source of the E. Coli was ground beef that wasn't properly cooked. The county's health department will monitor the restaurant. Greg and Alissa Melton were unimpressed with one aspect of Dr. Wilke's press conference: apparently the doctor stopped at Coco Loco and bought a ground beef taco, which he took a bite of for the cameras in a rather lighthearted way.

I can understand the boys' parents being frustrated by the tone of the press conference: their children were in hospital for a month fighting serious illness. If it were one of my three young kids that had been poisoned, hospitalized and on dialysis, I'd feel the same way.  I have personally handled a food poisoning wrongful death case in the Houston area associated with a salmonella Saintpaul poisoning at a local Mexican restaurant.  People sometimes forget that food poisoning can cause serious long term effects or death, particularly to those with weakened immune systems, or patients who are very young or elderly.

I'm thankful for the Melton family that the boys have been discharged and they are back together again at home. In my opinion Coco Loco needs to take care of the damages their improperly prepared food has caused.

Update 1: Dr. Wilke has apologized, both publicly and to the Melton's directly. Good choice.

DaraghCarterLaw.com

Dr. Eric Wilke puts his foot a Coco Loco taco
in his mouth at the press conference

Greg and Alissa Melton, delighted to be leaving Texas Children's
Hospital with 18-month old son Noah.

Nathan Hardcastle and Taylor Leonard victims of College Station car accident

20-year old Texas A&M sophomore Nathan Hardcastle of Cypress and 19-year old Taylor Leonard of Houston were tragically killed Saturday night in a two vehicle accident in College Station, Texas. According to an account of the accident on Channel 2's web site, a Dodge pickup carrying six people was leaving the driveway of a home when it was hit by another pickup truck. Police say Taylor Leonard was the driver of the pickup carrying Nathan and others that pulled out of the driveway. Police Sergeant Blaine Krauter says the investigation into the cause of the accident is continuing. The driver of the second pickup and four people in Ms. Leonard's pickup were hospitalized. College Station's KBTX' coverage here.

Nathan's family recently posted to Nathan's Facebook page asking that any friends with pictures of Nathan please upload them and tag the pictures, which they have enjoyed seeing. My heart goes out to the family and friends of these kids. 

Taylor Leonard and Nathan Hardcastle
Photo source: Facebook