Posted On:
August 6, 2009
Another Tragic Crash in Gainesville, Texas
For the second time in a month, a horrible crash has claimed the lives of innocent victims near a construction site on I-35 south of Gainesville. And just like the previous wreck, a tractor-trailer was not paying attention and slammed into the back of a vehicle, causing a terrible chain reaction.
The wreck happened just before noon on Monday north of FM 1306. A tractor-trailer driven by 59-year-old James Creighton of Dallas came barreling into backed-up construction traffic where two lanes were merging into one, causing a Chevrolet car to burst into flames. Anthony Brandon, 48, and his wife, Kimberly, 47, both of Bedford, died instantly, leaving 3 teenage daughters and members of Harwood Terrace Church in Bedford in shock.
The 18-wheeler, registered to Bradco Supply in Irving, then struck a small Honda sedan, injuring Carroll Whaley, 63, and his wife Linda, 61, who were treated and released at an area hospital.
The truck next hit a Nissan and killed the driver, 55-year-old Darryl Hoosier of Lafayette, La.
Finally, the rig hit another truck driven by Charles Haney, 53, who suffered only minor injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer was only slightly injured.
Officials blame the dangerous construction zone on KKM Construction, which has failed to meet its deadline on repairs of the 70 year old Elm Fork bridge over the Trinity River. Although warning signs begin 7 miles before the lanes merge, and again posted at one mile intervals before the construction zone, the site remains a mess that has lingered far too long and has now been blamed for 5 wrongful deaths.
Driver inattention is also a huge contributing factor in these tragic trucking accidents. Big rigs are dangerous vehicles that are operated many times by drivers who have had too little sleep, are under deadlines, or simply zone out from boredom on the road. When drivers are negligent and unaware of approaching traffic conditions, consequences are often on a large scale. The amount of time it takes for the driver to react and slow an 18-wheeler to a stop from 70 mph is too great to allow for driver inattention. In this instance, before the truck could come to a stop, he ran over 4 other vehicles causing a path of death and destruction that even seasoned officials couldn’t believe.
Mark A. Anderson of Fort Worth is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law. He focuses his practice on helping those seriously injured or killed by the wrongful acts of others. He can be reached online by clicking here or by phone at 817-294-1900.
