Houston Senior Killed in Rear-End Crash by Suspected Drunk Driver
Oct 26, 2021
Brooks Schuelke, Esq.
Schuelke Law PLLC
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) October 26, 2021 – In a recent rear-end crash, a 75-year-old Houston senior died in a two-vehicle encounter on Eastex Freeway near Greens Road. The man was on his way home from taking his grandchild to the hospital. His Chevrolet Trailblazer was rear-ended when a Ford F-150 struck it.
The man died at the scene of the accident. The driver of the Ford and the passenger were believed to be under the influence of alcohol. The Ford driver was charged with intoxication manslaughter.
This rear-end crash is still under investigation.
The number of deaths in motor vehicle accidents in Texas in 2019 was 3,615. Not all of those collisions involved fatalities, but the Lone Star State does not keep statistics on the number of deaths from rear-end crashes.
There are many reasons why almost two million rear-ending vehicle accidents happen each year nationwide, including aggressive driving, distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving or driving while fatigued. Other rear-end collisions may result from a mechanical failure, such as faulty brakes.
“Whatever the reason for the rear-end crash, the driver who crashed into someone else, is typically held liable, but there are exceptions. Accident survivors and families of drivers and/or passengers who died at the scene or later can file a personal injury lawsuit,” explained Brooks Schuelke, an Austin wrongful death attorney with extensive experience in personal injury claims. He is not involved in this case.
The driver who rear-ends another vehicle is considered at fault for the crash because they may have been tailgating, driving while fatigued, driving while under the influence, speeding or driving while distracted.
“Additionally, until it can be proven otherwise, a police officer may assume the accident they are investigating is the result of one of the usual reasons. This is not always the case.” Schuelke stated.
There are instances where the other driver caused a rear-end collision. Those can be caused by another driver suddenly pulling out of a parking lot or driveway, changing lanes or turning.
Most often, the reasons cited for the accident involved the other driver not looking before pulling out, not yielding the right of way when required, that something blocked their line-of-sight vision, were using an e-device while driving, were drunk or drugged, were driving carelessly, or could not judge speed and distance.
“Since police reports can assign liability incorrectly to the rear vehicle driver, when necessary, we make it a point to locate any eyewitnesses and work with accident reconstructionists to tell us how the accident happened,” Schuelke explained. Often if there are cameras in the area, the footage they captured may also be helpful.
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