A crash between a semi-truck and a car ended in tragedy at an intersection at Sam Houston Parkway North. The accident happened at the intersection of Tanner Road and the service road of W. Sam Houston Parkway.
The accident closed all of Beltway 8 at Tanner Road while police investigated and cleared the crash scene. No other injuries were reported, and the truck stayed on the scene.
Crashes between a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle can be dangerous, especially when they occur at intersections. Intersection crashes are particularly hazardous because they often result in a T-bone impact. That occurs when the vehicle is traveling in perpendicular directions. When at least one of the vehicles is traveling at a high rate of speed, serious injuries or fatalities are likely.
Truck accidents are often deadly because of the size and weight of the semi-truck. 18-wheelers can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds when fully loaded, making it very difficult to stop quickly. Intersections can be the location of serious crashes. This intersection and others like it may be confusing because they are located where vehicles are trying to enter and exit the highway. Many of the worst intersections in Houston are located near Sam Houston Parkway (Beltway 8), according to accident statistics collected by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
Some of the factors that can lead to these dangerous accidents include speeding, maneuvering to get onto the highway, failure to yield, and failure to obey a traffic signal. Drivers may be preoccupied trying to get onto the highway that they make mistakes or take chances that put them at a higher risk for a crash. The hidden costs of truck accidents are very high in Texas. Truck accident statistics are clear; Texas has a trucking safety issue.
All drivers, including those driving large trucks, must be more attentive, especially when near intersections. Houston removed red-light cameras, but the accident rate at intersections increased. This shows that drivers must be more vigilant when approaching traffic lights. Drivers should be alert and pay attention to the roadway and other drivers. If you miss a turn, do not try to get over it too quickly because this can cause a crash.
When making a turn at an intersection, always pay attention to green turn arrows and do not try to turn when the light is yellow.
Do not try to use a GPS or other electronic device while driving. Distracted driving is one of the most common contributing factors to severe accidents. Taking your eyes off the road for just a few seconds can be deadly.
Certainly, this accident shows just how severe the consequences can be when an accident occurs in an intersection. In this case, the cause of the crash is still under investigation. A negligent driver can be responsible for the damages and injuries resulting from the accident.
Having an expert lawyer in Trucking accidents allows a complete investigation to take place with an eye toward maximizing a wrongful death case by cementing liability. Our fatal accident lawyers have been protecting the financial future of truck-wreck victims’ families for more than three decades.
If you were hit by an 18-wheeler and need a lawyer, contact the real truck accident attorney Greg Baumgartner for a no-obligation consultation.
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Resources
Texas Monthly, The Daily Post, https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/dangerous-intersections-texas/
Texas Department of Transportation https://www.txdot.gov/