Distracted driving poses a constant threat on the Texas roadways due to the use of cellphones behind the wheel. Even a vehicle with every safety feature available may not be able to prevent a fatality in a head-on collision with a texting driver. However, many vehicles do not have the technology that manufacturers are adding to new automobiles, and some may not even have basic equipment to keep passengers safe.
In a recent crash between a pickup truck and a minibus, 12 older adult passengers were killed, as well as the bus driver. While the fact that both vehicles were traveling in opposite directions at highway speeds was likely relevant to the number of fatalities, experts believe that the physical conditions of those who died may also have been directly related. As seniors between the ages of 61 and 87, these passengers were among the age range most susceptible to fatal injuries in a collision.
An investigation is ongoing to discover whether the minibus had proper restraints and whether the passengers were wearing them. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined, but an eyewitness claims that the driver of the pickup was looking at his phone at the time of the crash. The people in the vehicle directly behind the truck stated that it had been swerving over the center line for miles, and that the driver admitted to texting immediately after the collision.
When people are injured or killed in an accident involving a distracted driver, there may be compensation to cover the related costs, pain and suffering, and loss of quality of life or companionship of the victim or family members. An attorney may be able to provide representation in seeking justice.
Source: CBS DFW, “Witness Says Pickup Driver Said He Was Texting Before Crash,” Barbara Schwarz, March 31, 2017