Police car rear-ended on 610 Loop by distracted driver

A driver rear-ended a HPD police car on the 610 Loop last night when the driver became distracted by hay (yes, the stuff horses eat). Apparently the officer noticed hay on the road and pulled over his patrol car and activated the lights to warn other drivers. The driver of a small white vehicle, possibly a Ford or a Kia, was distracted by the hay and crashed into the back of the police car. According to Channel 13, the driver and the police officer were not injured in the accident. The driver received a citation for failure to control speed (which really means not stopping in time to avoid the vehicle in front).

Photo credit: Channel 13 News

Houston car accident attorney

Passenger killed in rear end accident on Hempstead Highway

A passenger died after the small car he/she was riding in was struck from behind and sustained major damage on eastbound Hempstead Highway and West by Northwest Boulevard. The crash happened around 6:00 a.m. on Thursday March 21st as the small car waited to turn left off Hempstead Highway. The driver who caused the rear end collision, according to Channel 2, told crash investigators he was having a hard time seeing due to the headlights on oncoming vehicles. The driver of the small car was injured and transported to hospital: the names of the persons involved have not yet been released.

Photo credit: Channel 2 News

Fatal 18 wheeler accident on North 610 Loop near Jensen

Local media outlets are reporting a man was killed in a rear end accident involving a white van and an 18 wheeler on the North Loop near Jensen Thursday afternoon. At around 3:30 p.m. the van struck the rear of an 18 wheeler in the eastbound lanes. The van, which appears to be a commercial vehicle, sustained massive front end damage in the crash. Lanes were closed for several hours as Houston police investigated the cause of the accident. Two media outlets, the Chronicle and Channel 13, report that a person was injured rather than this being a fatality.

Photo credit: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Drunk driver rear ends Eagle Achievers Academy daycare van in Houston

A woman who crashed her SUV into the rear of a daycare van in northwest Houston told police she had been drinking before the accident, then passed out after police loaded her into a patrol car. The crash happened while the van was waiting at a light at the intersection of West 43rd and Oak Forest Drive this morning. There were 11 children on the van age 4 and 5 that attend the Eagle Achievers Academy daycare. All of the children were taken to Doctor's Hospital, some of them suffering cuts and bruises. Based on the front end damage to the drunk driver's SUV, it appears she was traveling at a pretty good clip when she crashed into the kids. I live and work in the area where this accident happened: it's scary to think somebody is driving around Houston this impaired by alcohol in the morning. Fortunately the van she rear-ended was a larger, heavier vehicle, as opposed to a motorcycle or small car, which may have resulted in a fatality.

I cannot abide drunk drivers who injure others and I am only to happy to file lawsuits against them if their insurance companies are foolish enough to undervalue my client's drunk driving accident injury claims. If you are searching for a Houston personal injury attorney because you have been hurt by a drunk driver, call me, email me or submit your case online. I'd be glad to help you.

Photo credit: Tim Wetzel, KHOU Channel 11 News

Photo credit: Tim Wetzel, KHOU Channel 11 News

Man loses leg in car accident on Spears Road in Houston

Around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday February 20th a gray Buick broke down in the left lane of Spears Road near T.C. Jester in Houston, and another driver in a red Toyota Tundra pickup stopped to help. As the Tundra driver was putting gas into the Buick, a black-colored Dodge Charger rear-ended the Tundra, pushing it forward into the back of the Buick. The man and woman sitting inside the Buick were taken to the hospital in stable condition. A man standing between the disabled Buick and Tundra at the time of the impact was pinned between the vehicles in the crash, causing one of the man's legs to be severed and the other leg to be badly crushed. The man was transported to hospital in critical condition by Life Flight helicopter. Harris County Sheriff's Office said impaired driving did not seem to be a factor, but the driver of the Dodge Charger was issued a citation for causing the accident. A man identifying himself as Darrell Ball posted a comment to Channel 2's story, stating the man whose legs were injured is his uncle, that he was in critical condition, and asking other to pray for the injured man.

Photo credit: Channel 2 News Houston

Serious injuries in four car accident on FM 1960 in Spring

Several cars that were facing westbound on FM 1960 in Spring were stopped at a traffic light at Cypress Station around 12:20 a.m. Saturday morning when an SUV slammed into the rear of an older model Cadillac waiting in line. The Cadillac was shoved forward into the vehicle in front of it, then the Cadillac sideswiped a fourth vehicle. Reportedly the SUV flipped over onto its side and the driver had to be extracted by rescue crews: the was transported by Life Flight in critical condition. A man and a woman in the Cadillac were taken to hospital in serious but stable condition. Two men in the vehicle that the Cadillac was pushed into were treated at the scene but were arrested when deputies found a large amount of marijuana in their vehicle. Channel 11's report is here.

Interestingly a person who commented on an accident report on Channel 2's web site claimed to be the only witness to the accident, and offered the following observations:

"I was probably the only witness to this wreck. the driver of the suv was in fact speeding. there were 10-15 vehicles stopped at the red light when the collision occured. im pretty good at judging speed, and i estimated the suv to be traveling in excess of 75mph but no more than 85mph (keep in mind that it is a 40mph zone). this wreck was pretty bad. if it was in a movie it would have been a michael bay film. life flight took ~30-45 mins from the time the road had been closed off and crews were already on the scene before it arrived and landed. both the suv and the caddy had to be cut open to remove the occupants, although there wasnt much left of either. i hope that the driver that caused all of this (the driver of the suv) gets the harshest penalties. Seeing it all happen first hand, i can only pray that justice is served. (I have excluded some details from this post intentionally)."

The man and woman in his Cadillac were seriously injured

The SUV that hit the Cadillac turned on its side

Occupants of this red car were arrested on a drug charge

Construction hard hats in the SUV that caused the wreck

DPS Trooper injured, rear ended by Ford Taurus on East Freeway

Around 12:30 a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper pulled over a vehicle for a violation on the East Freeway near Federal. A man driving a Ford Taurus entered the emergency lane and rear-ended the Trooper's patrol car. The Trooper, who was in his vehicle at the time, was transported to hospital in stable condition and the driver of the Taurus was transported also. DPS investigators will try to determine what caused the accident. Channel 11 story here.

You may be surprised to learn that the Trooper involved in this accident would be able to use his personal automobile insurance coverage (if necessary, or if he wanted to). This is true even though he was at work and not driving one of his personal vehicles. I've handled a similar case before for a Houston Police Department Sergeant who was t-boned by a drunk driver in Houston while on patrol. I set up a claim for the officer under his Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage.

Pickup driver injured in rear end accident with METRO bus

The driver of a Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck was injured Saturday night when his truck rear-ended a stopped METRO bus on the Highway 59 feeder at Fountain View in Houston. Police said the driver told them his accelerator was stuck when he crashed. The man was rescued from his badly damaged truck and taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. A couple of the bus passenger were hurt but will be okay. Channel 2's story here.

Photo credit: Channel 2 News

Did you know there there is NOT a law in the State of Texas that automatically makes the rear driver responsible for a rear end accident? There is a statute that says all drivers must maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front, but that is definitely not the same thing as automatic fault and I have seen insurance companies deny liability on claims where my client has been rear-ended.  If you've been injured in a rear end accident, submit your case online or contact me and I'd be glad to provide a free consultation.