The Odd Complexities Involved in Investigating Fatal Houston Crashes

Residents of a West Houston neighborhood woke up Monday morning to find that a fatal rollover crash had occurred outside their doors, and they had slept right through it. The details aren’t all out yet apparently on the sequence of events leading to the fatal rollover crash on Richmond near Tanglewilde. The rollover crash claimed the life of the driver of the wrecked pickup. His two passengers received injuries, one critical. But elements of the crash remain mysterious.

• One accident victim told officers at the scene that the crashed pickup truck was pursued and shot at.
• The security guard at the club from which the accident victims fled said he saw no vehicle follow them in pursuit and heard no gunshots.
• Investigating officers found no bullet holes in the crashed pickup truck or evidence of a gun being fired inside the vehicle.
• The deceased driver of the crashed pickup truck appears to be dead of a gunshot wound as much as from the fatal accident. But who shot him, when, and why? An autopsy has been ordered in the case.

The fatal rollover crash began with an altercation between the three occupants of the pickup truck and some other people at the nightclub Legends. Reportedly, the three men got thrown out of the club by security after one of them indicated he had a gun in his waistband. The three men fled the club in their pickup at high speed and crashed into a pole. The pickup truck rolled over and came to rest upside down a little after 5 a.m. The names of the three pickup truck crash victims haven’t been released, and news reports indicate that the identities of those with whom they had an argument at the nightclub Legends were not yet known.

The Houston injury attorneys of Denena & Points feel that this shocking accident well illustrates some of the complexities local law enforcement officer frequently face in their accident investigations. Officers receive training in checking victims of fatal accidents for foul play. Victims of fatal accidents are often found to have actually died from bullet or knife wounds. Victims are found dead inside vehicles submerged in bayous, and officers need to learn whether they came to rest there by accident or intent.

Criminal penalties don’t prevent you from also exacting civil penalties from a wrongdoer. If you’ve been injured in an accident because of someone’s reckless disregard for your safety, we could help you recover the financial compensation to which you’re entitled by your injuries. Contact us for your free consultation and a free copy of our informational e-books on the steps to take after an accident.