David Thomas James Killed, Robin Rutledge, 1 Injured in Truck Accident in Freestone County, TX
Freestone County, TX -- April 22, 2022, David Thomas James was killed and Robin Rutledge and another were injured due to an 18-wheeler accident.
Authorities reported that the crash took place at around 8:00 p.m. along I-45 near mile marker 200.
Preliminary reports said 42-year-old David Thomas James was in a commercial truck traveling southeast along the interstate. Ahead, traffic slowed near a parked semi-trailer that was stationary on the shoulder. Reports say that James's truck somehow did not slow down, crashing into a Chevy Malibu and the parked trailer.
Following the crash, officials pronounced James deceased. A passenger in the Chevy, 25-year-old Robin Rutledge, had non-incapacitating injuries. A person standing outside the stationary tractor-trailer was said to have incapacitating injuries.
Right now, the exact cause of the crash remains unconfirmed.
Commentary on David James, Robin Rutledge Truck Accident in Freestone County
Something I talk about a lot on this blog is accidents where truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel, look at their phone, drive too fast, or follow too closely. However, those who have read this blog before will also know I'm not someone who just jumps to blame truckers--or anyone else for that matter. I always talk about the importance of considering even the least likely of possibilities. For all we know, something unusual happened here the truck driver couldn't really avoid.
I had this case a while back for example where a truck driver had a medical emergency and caused a serious crash. When we looked into things, it stood out that the man's medical history had a long list of problems such that a responsible trucking company wouldn't have let him drive--as much for his sake as that of the public. Letting someone drive a large commercial truck when it's clear they can't continue to do so safely is like putting a ticking time bomb on the road. That company obviously did not care about their own driver, let alone their community.
To be clear, I'm not saying that happened here. It's simply that people tend to write these things off as just plain reckless driving without considering other possibilities. Was there a mechanical defect? Did the victim's employer not repair their vehicles well enough? Did they force drivers to work long hours? Was there a tire blowout? Did road hazards or other reckless drivers contribute to all of this. For victims in need of help and families in need of answers, a report like this alone simply isn't going to be good enough. That's why there likely needs to be more thorough independent investigations.
[jump]
