Daisy Ontiveros, 1 Injured in Semi-Truck Accident in Odessa, TX
Odessa, TX -- March 20, 2021, Daisy Ontiveros and one other person were injured due to an accident where their vehicle crashed with a semi-truck.
Investigators responded to the crash scene at around 2:21 a.m. along Highway 191 near Mission Boulevard.
In their reports, officials said that 20-year-old Daisy Ontiveros was a passenger in a Chevy Camaro driven by a 21-year-old man. While westbound on the highway, the Chevy somehow failed to slow down and crashed into the back of a semi-truck that slowed to make a right turn.
Due to the collision, Ontiveros had incapacitating injuries. The driver of the Chevy had reportedly non-incapacitating injuries. No one else was hurt. Police say they're looking into alcohol as a possible factor.
Commentary on Daisy Ontiveros Semi-Truck Accident in Odessa
It's not really clear if authorities have specific reason to suspect alcohol or if it's just because alcohol is common at this time of the morning. I would never suggest ignoring it, of course, especially if the victims were coming from a local bar. Texas Dram Shop Law says that an alcohol provider who over-serves an obviously intoxicated person can be liable for damages resulting from that intoxication.
At the same time, sometimes authorities list factors as possibilities only for more thorough investigations to show other factors contributed to the crash. That's one of the reasons I always take these early reports with a grain of salt. There's a long list of questions investigators need to answer before victims and families can move toward getting the help they need.
Did mechanical defects contribute to the crash? Were the hazardous conditions on the road? Is visibility poor in this area? Is there a lack of signage or traffic signals that needs to be addressed? Did the semi-truck have working brake lights? Did the truck driver signal they were turning? Did the victims' airbags and seatbelts function properly? If authorities only consider alcohol due thits being an early morning crash, my worry is they may overlook other important factors. A proper investigations would make sure all of these possibilities got the attention they deserved so the victims and families involved can get some much needed assistance.
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