Priscilla Colunga Injured in Truck Accident on I-35 in Frio County, TX
Frio County, TX -- March 16, 2022, 36-year-old Priscilla Colunga was injured in a collision with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 35 in Frio County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 10:05 p.m. on I-35 near County Road 4201. Preliminary investigation suggests a Freightliner semi-truck with an attached trailer was traveling north in the left lane of the freeway as Colunga's BMW sedan was northbound nearby in the right lane.
Reports say the truck driver started to pass the BMW but merged into the right lane before the pass was complete. The truck's cab crashed into the sedan in the right lane, pushing it off the roadway and into the grassy median. The truck continued a short distance northward before pulling onto the shoulder.
Colunga reportedly received minor injuries in the crash. The truck driver was unhurt.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Priscilla Colunga Accident on I-35 in Frio County
It doesn't take being a truck accident attorney to know that a crash with a big rig can be plenty serious, and I'm sure the Frio County wreck was at minimum scary to be involved in. I can only hope reports have their facts straight when they say the victim's injuries were minor after the crash, but frankly investigators at the scene don't always have enough information to make an accurate assessment. That's how you get situations like one I handled a while ago where a "minor" injury was really anything but.
In that case a big rig rear-ended our client's vehicle on the highway. He had some back pain after the wreck and went to a clinic where the doctors told him he was lucky and sent him home with little more than a prescription for some Ibuprofen and instructions to stay off his feet for a few days. A few days later, however, his pain had swelled to the point that he could barely move. Tests and scans at an emergency room showed the crash actually ruptured a disk in his spine, and the pain he felt at first was just the tip of the iceberg. What reports first called "minor" injuries ended up requiring surgery, months of recovery, and a lengthy battle to get the trucking company's insurer to take responsibility.
We got that man the help he needed, but part of that was because we acted fast on his behalf and didn't write off his injuries as "minor" just because early reports said so. There's no major reason to think the Frio County wreck could go that direction, but the possibility that things aren't quite what they seem is why it's important to take any such crash seriously. "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst," as they say, and that can make all the difference in getting a victim the help they deserve.
[jump]
