Authorities closed down part of Highway 67 to clear the scene of a fatal 5 vehicle wreck in Texarkana and reconstruct the accident. Monday around 8 a.m., Jerry Lamb was in a Saturn waiting to turn left into Daniels Tires for work that day when a Chevy Equinox struck the rear of his car. The Equinox then bounced off the Saturn and hit a freightliner truck reportedly belonging to Blue Bell Ice Cream.
The initial impact from the Equinox sent the Saturn into oncoming traffic where it collided with a Toyota. The Toyota then spun into another lane and got hit by a Chevy pickup. (ketknbc.com, 3/31/14) Jerry Lamb died at the scene of the terrible chain reaction wreck. Two other people were injured in the crash. And two drivers remained uninjured.
Mr. Lamb had only worked at the mechanic’s shop that leased space from Daniels Tires for about two weeks. The owner of the mechanic’s shop closed the business for the day. Troy Daniels of the tire shop said to KLTV that crashes had happened before at that same spot, and that they need a turn lane there. (Olivia Vidal, kltv.com, 3/31/14) Authorities are continuing to investigate the fatal 5-vehicle accident. The Texas highway crash attorneys at Denena Points, PC express their sincere sympathies to the grieving family and friends of Mr. Lamb.
Authorities did not yet disclose the specific cause of the crash. Our Texas highway crash attorneys agree, however, that it sounds as if the location probably does need a dedicated turn lane. Waiting to turn, or even waiting at a stoplight on a busy, but narrow, highway can be dangerous. Indeed, on Texas roads filled with drivers that don’t pay full attention to driving, and who drive too fast without leaving enough space between their vehicle and the car ahead of them, slowing to turn or stopping at an intersection can be dangerous for all drivers and their passengers.
In fact, I was rear-ended in this evening’s rush hour because one driver, apparently going too fast and not leaving enough space, failed to stop when the driver ahead of him stopped. I heard a loud impact as he crashed into that car, which had been stopped and which now has some serious damage. Then I felt an impact, as the stopped car was pushed into mine. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt in this chain reaction crash, unlike the one in Texarkana that tragically claimed the life of a man on his way to work.
Both of these accidents clearly demonstrate how one driver’s error can start a chain of reactions that leads to damage, injury, and even death for others. In Texarkana, the occupants of the vehicles hit after the Equinox first crashed had no control over subsequent events and could not avoid the chain reaction. It sounds rather miraculous that the wreck killed no other victims.
Let’s all try and take a lesson from these two crashes and:
Slow down; always drive at a safe speed.
Leave sufficient space between your vehicle and the one ahead of you so that you can stop if you need to.
Pay attention to the traffic around you so that you can slow and stop as other traffic stops.
Unfortunately, Texas traffic has become much heavier than it used to be. And drivers, plagued by delays and gridlock, have become more impatient and seem to take more reckless chances than ever before. Morning and evening rush hours in our cities and towns see multiple crashes. The vehicles stopped or slowing ahead of you may in fact be doing so because of a prior crash. Don’t add to the chaos. The Texas highway crash attorneys at Denena Points, PC urge you to take your time and drive carefully. It’s better to arrive somewhere late than not at all.
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