Dripping Springs Man Injured in Truck Accident on US 290 in Hays County, TX
Hays County, TX -- May 27, 2022, a Dripping Springs man was injured due to an accident where his vehicle crashed with a semi on US 290.
Investigators reported that the crash took place approximately 12:10 p.m. along US Highway 290 at Bell Springs Road.
Officials said that a 41-year-old Dripping Springs man was in a BMW traveling westbound along the highway. Ahead, an 18-wheeler reportedly attempted a wide right turn from the inside lane. Police claim the BMW driver failed to control speed and crashed into the truck.
The Dripping Springs man was said to have incapacitating injuries due to the crash. Right now, no additional details are available.
Commentary on Dripping Springs Man Truck Accident on US 290 in Hays County
These reports don't really sit right with me. I can't help wondering if authorities really gave the crash he attention it deserves. They say that the driver that hit the truck made a mistake by failing to control speed. However, they seem to glance over the fact that the truck was making a wide right turn across that person's lane. Depending on the timing of these events, was the victim's failure to slow down really a choice?
Put simply, a wide right turn in a commercial truck is inherently dangerous. Large trucks create dangerous obstacles for motorists, which is why the law holds commercial drivers to such a high standard. They're expected to be reasonably prudent beyond the scope of a typical motorist, and that can include things like sending co-workers out to flag down traffic if the truck must make a dangerous maneuver.
Now, that isn't to say the truck driver is at fault here. I can't say for sure. Just as truck drivers have a legal responsibility to be safe, so, too, do the rest of us. If this truck was clearly visible and far enough away to avoid, it would certainly raise some red flags for a driver to fail to see that obstruction in time to slow down. But if evidence shows that a reasonably prudent driver wouldn't have been able to avoid hitting this truck, then what is it exactly that the police are missing here? Is there more to this story that requires more thorough independent investigations?
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