Posted on April 29, 2012 in Uncategorized

A serious wreck involving a bus, a semi-truck, and two passenger vehicles, shut down parts of State Highway 123 south of Seguin for nearly the entire day on Friday.

According to a spokesperson from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS,) the accident occurred early on Friday morning, and began when a PT Cruiser pulled off the side of the highway to allow the big-rig to pass – but when it did, it clipped the smaller vehicle, causing it to spin in front of the bus. The bus his the PT Cruiser, and a Ford Focus that was following the bus was also involved in the crash. At some point, the mangled vehicles ignited, causing them to all end up charred.

An Seguin Today article relayed that the driver of the 18-wheeler, 58-year-old Jesus Martinez of Seguin, was airlifted to University Hospital, where he was last reported in critical condition. The drivers of both cars, a female in her 50’s and a female in her 60’s, were also hospitalized. Nine students were on the Seguin ISD bus at the time of the accident. Eight were treated and released, and one, an eight-grader from Barnes Middle School, remains hospitalized and is believed to be in stable condition, along with the school bus driver. DPS continues their investigation into the accident.

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 Posted on April 25, 2012 in Uncategorized

Occasionally, a family member or friend who is driving with a loved one or a close friend gets into a collision with another car or truck, causing injuries to their loved ones. In such situations, the injured party often is hesitant to pursue just financial compensation because they do not want to financially harm the driver. Although this hesitation is perfectly understandable, if the injured party were to pursue a claim, more often then not, the driver’s insurance would cover the compensation and the financial impact on the driver would be minimal.

For example according to MySanAntonio, last month, a vehicle carrying several San Antonio residents was involved in a single-car accident, after one of the vehicle’s tires blew out. The van’s passengers included the driver’s son, a family friend, the driver’s daughter, and the driver’s boyfriend’s daughter. The driver’s son and family friend died at the scene. The other three had non-life threatening injuries.

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 Posted on April 24, 2012 in Uncategorized

Hearing that a family member has been in a serious car accident can be a terrifying process. Christy Martinez, mother of 19-year-old Naomi Martinez, knows this all too well. According to the Seguin Gazette, early on the morning of April 1st, Martinez received a call from a friend who had witnessed the aftermath of a Seguin car accident, and had noticed that Martinez’s daughter, Naomi, was involved.

Christy rushed to the scene of the car crash, where she witnessed the Seguin Fire Department cut her daughter loose from being trapped in the vehicle. Naomi, and her friend, 18-year-old Rayann Ramirez, received major bodily injuries. Once firefighters freed the two from the vehicle, both were life-flighted to University Hospital.

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 Posted on April 23, 2012 in Uncategorized

The Texas Department of Transportation has dedicated the month of April to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving. The Department’s message is when you are driving being safe should be your only focus because distractions can lead to motor vehicle accidents. Although since cars came onto the road, distractions frequently have taken drivers’ eyes off the road, now that texting has become so commonplace, distracted driving is all the rage. Last year, Texas Governor Rick Perry, voted against a statewide ban on texting while driving. His view, which is shared by many, is that the government should not interfere with citizens’ daily activities and that such a statewide law would be too intrusive. Simply because there is no state law outlawing driving while texting does not mean that Texas localities have not outlawed the practice. For example, San Antonio councilmen Philip Cortez helped to pass a local ordinance in San Antonio prohibiting texting while driving. Cortez has stated, “All of us have been on the road and we see a car slowing down or swerving, and we pull up next to them and see somebody looking down using their phone or typing a message…It’s unbelievable what you can do with these devices now. You can watch YouTube, check email and Facebook. So, with technology exploding as it has, people are taking it everywhere including behind the wheel.” Cortez, as well as other lawmakers who pass similar laws, believe that prohibiting texting while driving will lead to fewer car, truck and motorcycle accidents and therefore will lead to fewer injuries to other drivers. If you have been in accident with another driver who was distracted for any reason, a top New Braunfels car accident lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact New Braunfels personal injury law firm The Bettersworth Law Firm for advice.

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 Posted on April 22, 2012 in Uncategorized

Royce Dedrick Brooks, from San Antonio, Texas, was killed instantly when a BMW crashed into the 18-wheeler he was driving. The truck accident occurred shortly after midnight on March 28, 2012, in Travis County near Texas 130 and Maha Loop. Brooks’ big-rig was loaded with gasoline. According to reports, the BMW failed to stop at a blinking red light and crashed into the tanker. Immediately upon impact, the truck flipped over and exploded into flames. Brooks died at the scene of the accident. He was 41 years old. The driver of the BMW, Hernan Garcia-Segura, suffered minor injuries. Segura was traveling with his mother, Alicia Garcia-Segura, who was in the car’s passenger’s seat. Due to a broken pelvis and a head injury, Ms. Segura was unable to escape from the vehicle on her own; however, Mr. Segura, despite his own injuries, managed to pull his mother to safety. The two were immediately rushed to University Medical Center Brackenridge.

Due to the truck’s explosion of gas, the roadway was closed for eight hours to clean the gasoline off the road. Further, the burning truck damaged the pavement and had to be resurfaced by the Texas Department of Transportation. The exploding truck was caught on camera by a police helicopter. Segura now faces charges of negligent homicide and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the fatal truck wreck. Although those whose negligent driving injures or kills another can face criminal charges for their actions, this alone doesn’t compensate the victims. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a Texas truck wreck, contact a top San Antonio truck wreck lawyer to discuss filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

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 Posted on April 18, 2012 in Uncategorized

On Wednesday, February 15, 2012, Jenny Ann Ybarra was sentenced to two years in prison for the manslaughter of Erica Nicole Smith, after being found guilty of manslaughter charges on February 13.

Four years ago, on the night of the fatal car crash, Ms. Ybarra had driven from Seguin to San Antonio for a night out with friends. After having several drinks, while driving home, Ms. Ybarra began to travel the wrong way on Loop 410 near Rigsby Avenue. During the trial, witnesses testified that Ms. Ybarra had a poor sense of direction and often had difficulty with night driving. Her vehicle ended up crashing into a vehicle driven by Sabrina Shaner.

According to the testimony, Ms. Smith, the front seat passenger, experienced severe brain trauma. Another passenger riding in the back seat suffered three fractured vertebrae. All of the women involved in the accident had been drinking that night. Although paramedics promptly responded to the car accident, Ms. Smith did not receive medical attention until nearly two hours after the crash. She passed away the next day.

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 Posted on April 11, 2012 in Uncategorized

On the morning of April 3, 2012, a Harlandale Independent School Bus that had seven special needs children aboard collided with a Pontiac Grand Prix at about 7:20 am. The bus was proceeding along its daily route of transporting the children to two different schools – Leal Middle School and Collier Elementary. According to http://mysanantonio.com, the bus made a wide turn onto Somerset Road from Gerald when it crashed into the Pontiac, which was on the wrong side of the road. The bus had a large dent on the front driver’s side. The driver’s door of the Pontiac appeared to be completely destroyed. A man who heard the crash stated that the crash was “pretty much like a bomb. Yeah, you can hear it. I mean, it was just, like, a big impact.”

Paramedics examined all the children for injuries. Luckily, the seven children and the bus driver, 60 year old Elloy Guerra, who were abroad the bus escaped unscathed.

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 Posted on April 10, 2012 in Uncategorized

Comal County sees many truck wrecks each year. These 18-wheeler accidents are caused by many different factors, and have a wide range of results, from no or minor injuries, to deaths and devastation. In one of New Braunfels more bizarre truck accidents, MySanAntonio.com reports that a cement truck recently crashed into the New Braunfels High School baseball stadium. The wreck happened on the afternoon of Monday, April 9. At the time of the accident, the New Braunfels baseball team was practicing on the field, when the cement truck crashed through the right field wall. The truck proceeded to drive through the batting cages, and then into and through the left field wall, before hitting another truck and a school bus and coming to a halt. Amazingly, no baseball players were hurt, although one reports having to run out of the way. The truck driver and a front passenger were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Police believe that the truck was involved in a prior accident before swerving off of nearby Loop 337. At the time of the article, New Braunfels baseball coach Doug Edwards said that the field is expected to be ready for the team’s Tuesday evening game against Bexar County. Luckily, this New Braunfels truck wreck only resulted in minor injuries and some property damage. However, most big-rig accidents don’t have the same result, those involved are seriously injured. If you are injured in a Comal County truck crash due to the fault of another driver, you are entitled to compensation for your damages. Contact a top New Braunfels truck wreck lawyer for advice.

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 Posted on April 06, 2012 in Uncategorized

On April 3, 2012, ksat.com reported that an 82-year-old woman, Refugia Moreno, died when her vehicle collided with a garbage truck. The accident happened at about 3:30 pm in San Antonio, near Bexar County at Loop 1604 and Marbach Road. Upon impact with the garbage truck, Ms. Moreno’s vehicle blew up in flames. Her husband, age 84, was also in the car. Firefighters promptly arrived at the scene and were to able to free Ms. Moreno and her husband from the burning vehicle. Immediately following the accident, Ms. Moreno was airlifted to a hospital in an effort to save her life. Unfortunately, she was severely injured and passed away later that day. Her husband was also rushed to the hospital, but his injuries were minor and he is expected to make a full recovery. The two men in the garbage truck also received minor injuries. The Sherriff’s Department continues to investigate this truck collision and have yet to issue any citations. However, the Sherriff’s Department has hinted that the garbage truck may be at fault in the accident. A reader of ksat.com commented that he and his coworker first responded to the accident. The reader stated that he went into the backseat of the vehicle and was trying to calm down Mr. and Mrs. Moreno. The reader further stated that Mr. Moreno grabbed his wife’s hand and that he was “clearly more worried for his wife than himself. There was such a display of love that these two had for each other.” No amount of money will replace a lost loved one. Still, if the garbage truck driver’s negligence caused the accident that killed his wife, Mr. Moreno is legally entitled to compensation for his losses, including money for loss of companionship. If your loved one has been injured or killed in an accident with a commercial truck, you need to hire an experienced New Braunfels, Texas personal injury attorney who has experience handling truck accident cases.

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 Posted on April 04, 2012 in Uncategorized

A multiple vehicle wreck, which occurred on Wednesday March 28, 2012 at about 4:00pm, involved three vehicles on the outskirts of Seguin on Interstate 10. According to the chain of events began when the driver of a Chevy Impala, Gabriel Trevino, a resident of San Antonio, rear ended a Toyota Avalon driven by Billy Bailey, a resident of Brownfield, Texas. The collision caused Bailey to lose control of his car and he rear-ended a Jeep Liberty driven by Kenna Schievelbein, a resident of Seguin.

This domino-effect collision all began when the three vehicles that were traveling westbound entered a construction zone where the right lane of Interstate 10 was closed. Due to the right lane closure, all three vehicles attempted to switch lanes simultaneously. Trevino did not slow down timely and collided with Bailey’s vehicle, and Bailey’s vehicle collided with Ms. Schievelbein’s Jeep. The vehicles landed on the right berm. Only two of those involved in the accident, Mr. Bailey and his passenger, required medical attention and were immediately transported to Guadalupe Regional Medical Center.

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