3 Injured as Mercedes Runs Red Light, Hits Car, Suspected TX DWI Crash
Saturday morning at Fairbanks North Houston and West Road in northwest Harris County, a Mercedes ran a red light and violently crashed into a Toyota containing three men. The men in the Toyota had been exiting a gas station when the Mercedes slammed into them. Two men from the Toyota received very serious injuries and were airlifted to the hospital. One man was reportedly in “extremely critical” condition.
The Toyota’s driver was also injured and received transport to the hospital by ground ambulance. Harris County Sheriff’s deputies said that the driver of the Mercedes showed signs of impairment. The driver, suspected of DWI, was taken to a hospital for a blood draw. (Source: KTRK abc13.com, 8/24/13)
The hearts and prayers of our Harris County personal injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC are with the victims of this violent crash, hoping for their safe and complete recoveries from their injuries.
Contact Us for a Free Copy of the Police Accident Report Relating to Your Injury
The information in the police accident report could help you build a successful accident compensation claim so that you can pay your medical expenses following a serious crash injury. Call us at 713-807-9500 or reach us through our online request form to obtain your free copy of the police accident report. Our Harris County personal injury attorneys provide it to you free, without obligation.
The Deadly Toll from Drivers that Run Red Lights
The Fatality Analysis Reporting System of the U.S. NHTSA shows that in 2008, 762 people died because of drivers who ran red lights. Our Harris County personal injury attorneys understand that an estimated 165,000 people are also injured in such crashes each year.
The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has a vested interest in learning who and what causes the accidents for which insurance must pay. So the Institute has studied the problem of red light running. Their data shows that less than half of the fatalities in red light running crashes belong to the drivers that ran the red lights. Our Harris County personal injury attorneys emphasize that more than half of the deaths from such crashes belong to pedestrians and other drivers who are hit by the red light runners. Click the link to read about a typical example of the injuries caused when a driver runs a red light.
Hidalgo County Police Chase that Killed 6 Indicates need for More Care
Texas DPS troopers pursued a white pickup truck that had been reported stolen from Alton, Texas. The driver of the white pickup fled the troopers and sped through a stop at Western Road and Mile 7 in Citrus City in western Hidalgo County, Texas. Our Alvin, Texas wrongful death lawyers sadly report that the white pickup truck struck three other vehicles in the ensuing crash, killing 6 of the 7 family members in a 4-door Chevy pickup truck.
Those killed in the Citrus City fatal crash by the driver of the white pickup truck, reported stolen from Alton, were:
- Lidia Morales Cardoza, 35;
- Jose Ortiz, Lidia’s husband; and
- 3 male children and 1 female child of the couple.
A fourth passenger was listed in critical condition at a San Antonio hospital. The hearts and prayers of our Alvin, Texas wrongful death lawyers at Denena Points, PC are with the family and friends of the innocent victims killed in this western Hidalgo County wreck, and with the injured victims of the Citrus City fatal crash.
Texas DPS troopers did not identify the driver of the white pickup truck, who tried to flee the scene of the devastating fatal crash on foot. Reports indicate that the fleeing driver was captured and hospitalized and that other injured victims of the devastating wreck were also hospitalized. (Source: Ildefonso Ortiz, the Monitor themonitor.com and The Brownsville Herald, 8/13/13)
Our Alvin, Texas wrongful death lawyers mention that apparently pursuits by police, border guards, and state troopers have been increasing in frequency in western Hidalgo County because an area just west of Mission, Texas marks one of the gaps in the border fence separating Texas from Mexico. Drug and immigrant smugglers use this gap (why hasn’t it been closed, we ask?) and drive recklessly at high speeds on Highway 83 before seeking out less traveled roads to try and hide their crimes.
Police should pursue wrongdoers. Yet police chases so often end up with desperate criminals, who really don’t care about others’ lives and safety, causing fatal or serious injury accidents that harm innocent victims. Perhaps authorities should take a harder line to bring down the criminals and their vehicles more quickly rather than risk letting them injure or kill innocent people and their families. Maybe it’s time to stop coddling criminals and let them face the severe consequences that their crimes deserve.
Maybe innocent Texans shouldn’t have to suffer for other people’s sins. What decent person wants their friends or loved ones harmed because of a reckless criminal action? Click the link to read an article from our Alvin, Texas wrongful death lawyers about another recent police chase that ended in a fatal accident that killed an innocent victim.
Denton Crash at Mingo and Old North Seriously Injures 2 Young Men
Our Texas highway accident injury lawyers report a Denton crash at Mingo Road and 288 that was described in some reports as a two-vehicle accident; other reports made no mention of a second vehicle. Denton police indicated that a 21-year-old man was behind the wheel of a Mini Cooper with a 15-year-old male passenger, possibly related, traveling at high speed.
The young men were reportedly traveling under the overpass for Highway 380 when they crashed into a concrete pillar. The 15-year-old passenger was ejected from the vehicle and airlifted to a Dallas hospital with serious injuries. The 21-year-old received ambulance transport to the Denton Regional Medical Center. (Source: The Denton Record Chronicle, 8/9/13)
The Texas highway accident injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC wish the two young men rapid and full recoveries from their injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their family members as they heal and recover.
Learn What You can do to Protect the Rights of Yourself or Your Loved Ones after a Serious Crash
Download our free guide that gives detailed information on how to protect your family’s rights and build a successful accident claim after a traumatic accident. And if you still have questions about your specific injuries, feel free to contact us for a confidential legal consultation.
The Texas highway accident injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC offer a free initial legal consultation, without obligation, to answer your questions and evaluate your eligibility for a full financial recovery for the serious injuries. Call us at 713-807-9500 or reach us anytime through our online contact form. Let the more than 12 years of experience of our Texas Board Certified personal injury attorneys help you and your loved ones.
Vehicle Speed is Directly Related to the Severity of Crash Injuries
The higher the speed of a vehicle, the greater the potential for severe or fatal injuries in the event of a crash. In Texas, most severe speed related crashes occur on our less-congested rural highways where drivers find more opportunity to consistently reach and maintain high traveling speeds.
Urban highways are the scenes of most high-speed urban crashes. Our Texas highway accident injury lawyers note an interesting study of police and municpal court data in Houston that revealed that a 36% drop in the number of traffic tickets issued for speeding led to a whopping 154% increase in injury accidents. Cracking down on speeding with heightened law enforcement efforts could help reduce the number of severe speed related crashes. But the best way to increase safety is for drivers to police themselves. Reduce your chance of injury on the road: drive safely.
Drink Buyer Should be Held Liable too for Nicole Baukus DWI Deaths
An article from HLN TV recently presented the question of whether prosecutors should go after Nicole Baukus or Kambiz Michael Duran, the man who bought her drinks after she was already intoxicated, as if it’s an either/or proposition. (Source: Alexandra Thomas, HLNtv.com, 8/5/13) The Texas wrongful death attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that the law allows prosecutors to go after BOTH of them. And indeed, authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Duran.
Texas has a huge drunk driving problem that results in thousands of severe injuries and fatalities each year. And approximately one third of the nation’s more than 30,000 traffic fatalities annually are caused by drunken drivers. The deadly toll includes the two teens tragically killed when Nicole Baukus crashed into them. DPS troopers noted that Baukus was laughing as they charged her with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault.
Educational campaigns, rehabilitation programs, and heightened legal penalties have done little to deter drunken drivers or those who over-serve them in Texas. Bars and clubs often resort to “safe harbors” to escape liability under the TABC laws against over-serving alcohol. So the Baukus case could present prosecutors with a good first step in holding individuals responsible for providing alcohol to those already intoxicated. Maybe if individuals became aware that they too could be held liable under TABC laws, it would discourage such behavior.
Our Texas wrongful death attorneys emphasize that it’s not just criminal penalties that Kambiz Michael Duran could face, but also monetary penalties in civil lawsuits filed by the surviving victim and the families of the deceased victims of the DWI crash. Texas observes the rule of assigning proportional liability among all the parties proven to have contributed to an accident. Texas also allows for joint and several liability, where if one party is found more than 50% responsible for an accident, they could be held financially responsible to pay all the monetary penalties if other parties can’t pay.
The Texas wrongful death attorneys at Denena Points, PC hope that prosecutors and the civil attorneys of the surviving victim and the deceased victims’ families take the opportunity to seek justice against all the responsible parties in this case: Nicole Baukus, the bar which in defiance of the law served her the drinks that led to the crash, Duran, the man that purchased some or all of those drinks for Baukus, and others of whom we may not be aware.
Contact Us to Learn more about how Civil Monetary Penalties can be used to hold Drunken Drivers and Those Who over-serve Them Financially Accountable for their Disregard of the Law and Your Safety
If you or your loved one was harmed in a DWI crash, the Texas wrongful death attorneys at Denena Points, PC offer a FREE, no obligation initial legal consultation to answer your questions about potential liabilities and civil monetary compensation. Call us at 713-807-9500 or reach us through our online contact form.
Woman who had 21 Drinks Before Fatal DWI Crash Gets 38 Years
Reportedly, 24-year-old Nicole Nadra Baukus’s blood alcohol level was 0.286%, nearly four times the legal limit of 0.8%, just after the fatal DWI wrong-way crash on I-45 that killed two teens and seriously injured another on June 29, 2012. Our Pearland catastrophic injury attorneys note that Baukus was also found to have Valium and marijuana in her system.
A TABC agent said that surveillance videos from the Rox Sports Bar and Grill in Montgomery County where she’d been drinking showed that Baukus had consumed 21 drinks, including a “tray of shooters” before climbing into her pickup truck and heading the wrong way on I-45. Baukus changed her original plea of “not guilty” to “guilty” and received 15 years for each count of intoxication manslaughter and 8 years for the count of intoxication assault.
Prosecutors related that Baukus was laughing as the arresting officer charged her with her crimes after the fatal DWI crash. Nicole Baukus’s father testified at his daughter’s trial that he also had a history of getting caught driving drunk.
Nicole Baukus is someone who should be kept off the roads for as long as possible. Studies have shown that drunken drivers tend to repeat their crimes. Our Pearland catastrophic injury attorneys hope that Nicole Baukus’s sentences will be served consecutively rather than concurrently.
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s Role in a Fatal DWI Crash Case
Texas law provides penalties for bars, clubs, and other establishments that “over-serve” patrons. TABC rules provide that no further alcohol should be served to a patron who is visibly drunk. And most alcohol-serving establishments have procedural rules to keep track of the number of drinks a patron is served. If the bars and their employees obey those rules, they can usually find a “safe harbor” if a patron gets drunk and crashes afterwards.
In this case, the evidence was on video, and the safe harbor was heavily silted up. How do you explain away a “tray” of shooters when the law only allows a patron to have two open drinks at one time? Our Pearland catastrophic injury attorneys reckon one can’t; the Rox Sports Bar’s insurance carrier agreed to pay a million dollar settlement, which was divided between the surviving teen and the estates of the two who tragically lost their lives at such young ages.
TABC Evidence and the Fatal DWI Crash Involving Former Dallas Cowboy Josh Brent
Regarding another fatal DWI crash where TABC rules come into play, TABC has announced that Beamers Nightclub was “conducting practices that promote excessive [alcohol] consumption by patrons.” And that there’s “sufficient evidence” that Beamers sold alcohol to an “intoxicated person” on the December night when Josh Brent, formerly a Dallas Cowboy, left the club and crashed his Mercedes in a high speed wreck that claimed the life of friend and teammate Jerry Brown Jr.
Surveillance videos showed Brent driving in excess of 110 mph just before the fatal crash. Our Pearland catastrophic injury attorneys point out that his blood alcohol level was reportedly measured at more than twice the legal limit. But authorities are waiting to proceed on their TABC case against the club until other aspects of the high-profile case have been resolved. (Sources: yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek/ 7/31/13; Cicely Mitchell, CBS Houston, 8/1/13; Scott Engle, Montgomery County Police Reporter; Damali Keith, KRIV Fox 26; 8/2/13; and Robert Wilonsky, The Dallas Morning news, 8/2/13)
Contact the Pearland Catastrophic Injury Attorneys at Denena Points, PC if You Have Questions about Serious or Fatal Injuries from a DWI Crash
Texas law was changed in 2009 to provide harsher penalties against drunken driving. But the DWI accident numbers keep climbing and drunken drivers keep repeating their offenses.
If a drunken driver has harmed you or your loved one in a crash and you have urgent questions about what to do to win justice, feel free to contact our Pearland catastrophic injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC anytime. We provide a free, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss the accident, answer your pressing questions, and evaluate your eligibility for compensation for your injuries and losses from the crash. Reach us directly at 281-369-4363 or through our online contact form at your convenience.
Van’s Failure to Yield in Galveston Wrecks Police Car and Injures 8
Thursday afternoon around 5, an out-of-state van failed to yield right-of-way to an oncoming police car as it made an unprotected turn from Broadway onto 23rd Street. Veteran police officer Clemente Garcia, Jr. collided with the van that pulled into his path. Our Galveston personal injury attorneys remark that the collision caused the van to roll over and slide down the street, colliding with another van.
7 people, including children, were in the out-of-state van that failed to yield-right-of-way, and one person was in the van it hit after rolling over. 8 people were hospitalized with injuries from the 3-vehicle wreck. (Source: Breck Porter, the Police News, thepolicenews.net, 7/25/13)
The Galveston personal injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC wish the many victims of this 3-vehicle wreck quick and safe recovery from their injuries. We’re pleased to understand that none of the injuries were said to be life threatening.
Need the Official Police Accident Report for Your Wreck? Just Contact Us and We’ll Get It for You, Free of Charge
You might need the official police accident report for your wreck in order to recover financial compensation for your injuries from the insurance company. But you may not know where or how to obtain it, or you might not want to contact the police yourself. So contact our Galveston personal injury attorneys, and we’ll get the report for you and provide it for free, without obligation. Our goal is to make the road to recovery for injured accident victims as easy as possible. Reach us anytime through our online request form, or just call us direct at 281-369-4363.
Failure to Yield Right-of-Way Causes Many Serious Intersection Accidents
Our Galveston personal injury attorneys realize that traffic signals and intersection types can vary from state to state, making right-of-ways and turn procedures confusing. For instance, in New Jersey, one can’t turn left at major intersections. There’s a right-hand “jug handle” to go through to make your left turn. And if you’re from Texas, instinct might lead you to want to enter the “exit” part of the jug handle, which you arrive at first, rather than the correct part. You also can’t pump your own gas in New jersey and have to wait for an attendant.
Even in one’s own state, many people find intersections with flashing caution lights, as well as intersections containing four-way stops, particularly confusing. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine who has the right of way. Or one party might believe they hold the right of way when they actually do not. Our Galveston personal injury attorneys urge you: when in doubt, yield for safety. And if you have to go to New Jersey, get a local to drive.
Deadly Drunk Driving Toll: 2 TX DWI Crashes Kill 4 Children, 4 Adults
Our Pearland, Texas wrongful death attorneys have seen far too much tragedy and too many grieving families due to drunken driving. Texas tops the nation in fatal DWI crashes; Harris County perennially tops the rest of the state in drunken driving accidents.
Early on Wednesday just before 2:30, a suspected drunken driver in Arlington, Texas killed a young family. Najib Intidam, his wife Hanane, and their infant daughter all died after Benjamin Stewart, 41, rear-ended their stalled Toyota Camry with his truck on I-30 near Fielder Road and East Chase Parkway. The Camry was then struck by a second pickup truck.
Texas DPS troopers said that Benjamin Stewart tried to flee the tragic DWI crash in his truck, but it was too badly damaged. So then he ran away from the accident on foot. But we’re pleased to note that the Texas troopers were able to locate Stewart with a thermal camera where he was hiding in a wooded area close by. The troopers arrested Stewart and charged him with intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid. (Source: Fox DFW, 7/24/13) The Pearland, Texas wrongful death attorneys at Denena Points, PC express their sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the family that perished in this tragic accident on I-30.
Just a few days prior to that tragic DWI crash in Arlington, 3 children from Dallas who were visiting their grandfather in El Paso were killed by another suspected drunken driver. 23-year-old Alberto Coronado was speeding down Santiesteban Street in his Ford F-250 truck when he ran through a stop sign and slammed into the Chevrolet Impala in which the 3 children were riding.
The force of the impact caused the Impala and the Ford truck to flip over. The 3 children, their grandfather, and a female passenger in the car all died from the El Paso DWI crash. A witness from the area where the tragic DWI wreck occurred said that he often saw Coronado’s truck speeding through the neighborhood. Alberto Coronado has been charged with 5 counts of intoxication manslaughter. (Source: Christina Rosales, The Scoop Blog, The Dallas Morning News, 7/23/13) The deepest sympathies of our Pearland, Texas wrongful death attorneys go out to the relatives and friends of the 3 children and 2 adults killed in the tragic El Paso DWI crash.
These two DWI wrecks alone account for 8 innocent lives. Do we need any other reminders of the deadly drunk driving toll taken on Texas families by heedless drunken drivers? These drivers will not only risk the lives of you and your loved ones, they’ll flee the scenes of their accidents if they can to avoid the consequences of their callous and irresponsible behavior.
Our Pearland, Texas wrongful death attorneys urge everyone again NOT to drink and drive. And please educate your friends and family members about the tragic toll taken by drunken drivers. Arrange for alternative transportation to your destination if you’re going to be out drinking. Drive responsibly and save lives.
Bicyclist Safety and Serious Injuries in Harris County Traffic
Texas streets are generally not designed with the pedestrian or bicyclist in mind. And our Harris County bicycle accident attorneys realize that Texas drivers don’t always do well sharing the road with bicyclists or pedestrians. The news from Harris County chronically reports pedestrian injuries from motor vehicle accidents. And two recent reports of bicyclist injuries from motor vehicle accidents reveal the danger that cyclists experience every day as they try to share our Harris County roads with cars and trucks.
On Wednesday morning, a car in Harris County struck a woman on a bicycle at the intersection of Cypress North Houston Boulevard and Barker Cypress Road. As the bicyclist tried to cross the road, the car hit her and tossed her into a ditch, and she required transport to the hospital for serious, possibly life threatening, injuries. (Source: khou.com, 7/17/13)
On Tuesday night around 7, a truck struck an 8-year-old bicyclist that was trying to cross the street with a friend at Pine center drive near Royal Gardens Drive in northwest Harris County. The 8-year-old girl was hospitalized in critical condition. (Source: yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek, 7/17/13)
The thoughts and prayers of our Harris County bicycle accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC are with the injured victims of these wrecks. And we remind drivers to always share the roads and watch carefully for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Contact our Harris County Bicycle Accident Attorneys if You need Help after a Serious Injury Accident
Put our more than 12 years of experience successfully resolving complex accident injury cases to work for your family’s benefit. Contact us for a free and confidential initial legal consultation to discuss your accident and evaluate your potential for a full financial recovery for your injuries. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. Reach us at 281-369-4363 or anytime through our online contact form.
Drunk Drivers Running Red Lights in Texas, and Killing and Maiming
Much of our society turns a blind eye to drunkenness and to drinking and driving. Somehow we manage to ignore the fact that drunken drivers kill, maim, and ruin lives on a regular basis. I just don’t understand that. News headlines are regularly filled with the death and injury toll from drunken driving accidents.
Our Houston auto accident attorneys note that in many cases, the drunken driver is among the dead or injured victims of their wreck. Just the other day in Dallas, a suspected drunken driver was behind the wheel of a pickup truck that ran a red light and slammed into an SUV. The SUV contained 6 children and 3 adults. All 9 of these people were hospitalized with injuries from the wreck, as was the driver of the pickup. Several of the children in the SUV were ejected from the vehicle on impact.
Just the act of running a red light risks lives and serious injuries. Friday night in northwest Harris County, Lavada Armington Gilder reportedly ran a red light at Bammel North Houston and the North Sam Houston Parkway service road. Unfortunately, she ran the red light in front of a couple of street racing vehicles and died in the resulting crash. Her husband, riding in her vehicle, was hospitalized with injuries from the tragic accident.
The Houston auto accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC urge you to not take chances with lives, yours or any others. Don’t drink and drive. And don’t run red lights or stop signs. Houston and Dallas, with their ever-increasing traffic congestion, are dangerous enough places to drive already.
Need a Free Copy of the Police Accident Report for the Wreck that Harmed You or Your Loved One? Contact Us
The twin goals of our Houston auto accident attorneys are to help increase traffic safety and to help injured accident victims receive the fair financial compensation they deserve after they’ve been harmed by another driver’s negligence. Helping you in the aftermath of a serious injury accident is just another service we provide. Contact us at 281-369-4363 or fill out our online request form to get your free, no obligation copy of the police accident report for the wreck that harmed you or your loved one.
Obtain Fair Financial Compensation after a TX Drunken Driver Harms You
Accidents caused by drunken drivers, like this fatal drunken driving crash, tend to be more violent and with more catastrophic injuries and fatalities than accidents caused by sober drivers. Drunken drivers are often driving on the wrong side of the road and at very high speeds too. When the drunken drivers smash into other vehicles in head-on crashes, our Galveston personal injury attorneys emphasize that it’s the innocent victims in the other cars and their family members who generally suffer the most.
Accident victims and their families need to obtain the financial compensation they deserve for the harm they’ve suffered in order to move forward with their lives and to pay the enormous expenses left by the catastrophic crash. They need to know that the drunken driver might not be the only person responsible for causing their injuries. Under Texas dram shop laws, bars, restaurants, clubs, or other alcohol-serving establishments that served the drunken driver the alcohol that helped lead to the wreck might also be liable for their injuries.
If you’ve been harmed in a wreck caused by a drunken driver and your Galveston personal injury attorney is able to discover which establishment served the driver his or her alcohol, you might be able to make a full financial recovery after the catastrophic crash.
Texas observes the rule of joint and several liability. This means that where than more than one person or entity is found to be liable for causing the harm you suffered, they must each pay you in proportion to their share of the blame. But if one of them, for example the bar, is found to be more than 50% liable, that entity must also pay the drunken driver’s share if that driver cannot pay.
Get the Able Legal Help You Need after a Drunken Driver Harms You: Contact the Galveston Personal Injury Attorneys at Denena Points, PC
Galveston personal injury attorneys Chad Points and Tony Denena are Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This means that Chad and Tony have achieved a degree of expertise in personal injury law and have met higher legal education and trial experience requirements than non-certified attorneys in their field.
Chad Points and Tony Denena offer you a FREE, no obligation initial legal consultation with the benefit of their more than 12 years of experience successfully resolving personal injury and wrongful death cases. In your free consultation, you could discuss the specific circumstances of the crash, learn your available legal options, and have the attorney evaluate your potential eligibility for financial compensation for your injuries. And Chad and Tony never charge you attorneys’ fees unless they win your case, so there’s no financial risk to you. Call today at 281-369-4363 or fill out our online request form to schedule your FREE initial legal consultation.