Alfredo Oyervides Killed in 18-wheeler Accident on FM 1788 in Andrews County, TX
UPDATE (April 22, 2022): Officials gave additional details about the crash. They said that the victim was 54-year-old Alfredo Oyervides. Oyervides was reportedly in a southbound vehicle when a northbound semi-truck drifted into the southbound lane, resulting in a head-on collision. Right now, additional details about the crash are unavailable.
Andrews County, TX -- April 20, 2022, one person was killed due to an accident where an 18-wheeler and another vehicle crashed on FM 1788.
In their initial reports, officials said that the crash happened in the afternoon hours in the area of FM 1788 and State Highway 176.
According to reports, the cause of the crash remains unclear. Reports said only that an 18-wheeler and a passenger car crossed paths, resulting in a collision. Due to the crash, one person was transported from the scene in critical condition and later succumbed to their injuries.
Additional details about the crash are unavailable at this time.
Commentary on Alfredo Oyervides 18-wheeler Accident on FM 1788 in Andrews County
With these new details, it's incredibly concerning to see a truck run into oncoming traffic. There are many reasons that sort of thing happens, and few of those reasons are excusable. While it's possible something unusual like a medical emergency or a manufacturing defect led to the crash, it's far more likely this involved something like fatigue or distracted driving. Either way, it's likely going to take thorough independent investigations to make sure the victim's loved ones get the answers and the help they deserve.
Part of the reason this is so important is because when unusual things lead to a deadly crash, authorities on their own may not have the means to catch all of the important factors. When companies do everything in their power to avoid responsibility for a crash, this becomes pivotal. An example of this would be a crash I handled a while back in which a truck driver had a medical emergency, leading to a serious crash. While that may have seemed unavoidable, our continued investigations showed otherwise.
Digging into the driver's history, it became clear that there was a history of medical problems that made it far too dangerous for that person to be behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle. That driver's employer either didn't care about all of those red flags, or they simply never bothered to look. It's difficult to say which would be worse.
The point here is that even when the facts seem clear, there could be more to the story the victims and families need to know. The priority should be to get them as many answers and as much help as possible, and that only happens when people have all the facts. Are the steps being taken here to get the facts for the victim's grieving loved ones?
[jump]
