18-Wheeler Triggers Texas 5-Vehicle Accident
A terrible crash involving five vehicles Monday morning near Sweetwater left two teenagers dead and their families in mourning. In addition, four others were injured. The teens who were killed were actually on their way to a mission to help Louisiana flood victims.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the accident happened Monday morning at about 9:40 a.m., when an 18-wheeler traveling west on Interstate 20 near mile marker 251 veered into the median and went through the cable system there before entering the eastbound lanes and hitting three vehicles. Two vehicles sustained damage due to the cables and debris, but no one was hurt.
In the accident, 17-year-old Lydia Penner was pronounced dead at the scene, while Steven Wiebe, also 17, was transported to Rolling Plains Hospital in Sweetwater, where he died sometime later. Both teenagers were among six passengers in a vehicle from “Christian Aid Ministries” of Seminole, Texas the time of the crash. The crash left four other people injured, according to the DPS report, although it wasn’t clear whether they were in the van or another vehicle at the scene. One victim was airlifted to Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, while three others were transported by ambulance to Rolling-Plains Memorial Hospital.
DPS is still investigating the crash, but there will be a lot to examine. It will be necessary to investigate the truck driver and the truck, to make sure the driver was qualified and hadn’t been violating any regulations. Often, investigations uncover that truck drivers have been driving too long and they become fatigued while behind the wheel. In other cases, truckers may be found to have not been through the proper training. It is also all too common for a truck to be defective and not properly maintained. All of these are quite often the result of trucking companies putting profits over safety.
An accident involving an 18-wheeler is always very dangerous and usually involves serious injury because the trucks are bigger than anything else on the road. The families of these teens deserve answers and, if there was any negligence in this accident, all negligent parties should be held responsible for their wrongful death. The same is true of those who were injured.
If you have been the victim of an accident involving an 18-wheeler, you deserve the best lawyer possible, so please contact the experienced and knowledgeable truck accident lawyer at The Hill Law Firm today. We will investigate everything and help you recover everything you’re entitled to. There is never a charge until we win your case and all consultations are free.