Fatal Truck Crash In San Antonio Allegedly Caused by Distracted Driving
One woman is dead after a pickup plunged five stories off a North Side overpass.
Authorities say the wreck occurred on Highway 281 between Jones Maltsberger and Basse Roads at about 1:00 p.m. on February 12. A Ford pickup allegedly drove off the highway and landed upside down in a creek bed. First responders, including an off-duty paramedic, worked feverishly to free the two people trapped inside the vehicle. They were able to save the passenger, who was then rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.Both the victims are believed to be in their early or mid-20s.
Distracted Driving
Although it is far too early to speculate as to a cause of this tragedy, it appears that distracted driving may be a likely culprit because the driver allegedly drove the pickup truck off the road in the middle of the afternoon, resulting in the car accident. Every day, more than 1,153 people are injured in a car accident that involved a distracted driver. Even more disturbingly, nine people are killed in these incidents every 24 hours. As the opportunities for distraction have increased, that figure has steadily increased as well.
Cell phones, and specifically text messages, draw the most attention because they involve all three forms of distraction:
- Cognitive, or taking your mind off driving,
- Manual, which is taking your hands off the wheel, and
- Visual, or taking your eyes off the road.
Distracted driving is not limited to hand-held cell phones. Hands-free cell phones, as well as activities like tuning the radio, talking to a passenger, and adjusting the air conditioner, can all be dangerous forms of distracted driving. A vehicle traveling at 70 mph covers about 100 feet per second, so it only takes a moment to cause a serious or fatal crash.
Damages in a car crash can include fair compensation for both economic losses, such as lost wages and medical bills, and non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment in life. Punitive damages may also be available in some situations.
Distracted driving causes serious accidents every day on Texas roads. For a free consultation with a New Braunfels personal injury attorney, contact our office. Home and hospital appointments are available.
