Scott Rousalis Killed in Motorcycle Accident on Transmountain Rd in El Paso, TX
El Paso, TX — June 9, 2022, motorcyclist Scott Rousalis died in a crash after allegedly running a red light at a Northeast El Paso intersection.
According to reports the incident happened around 9:00 p.m. at the crossing of Transmountain Drive and Gateway South. Preliminary investigation suggests Rousalis, 60, was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle east on Transmountain when he allegedly ran a red light. After entering the Gateway intersection the motorcycle crashed with a Nissan Sentra.
Rousalis suffered critical injuries and was taken to an area hospital, where he died a short time later. No other injuries were reported.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Scott Rousalis Accident on Transmountain Rd in El Paso
Few crashes are really as cut-and-dried as preliminary reports make them seem. Some might wonder if that applies here since the victim allegedly ran a red light; I have no specific reason to doubt that, but at the same time it may not really be the whole story. Hopefully investigators aren't quite ready to tie a bow on things and move on.
It's important after any crash to keep an open mind and properly investigate all its possible factors. Things really could boil down to something as simple as the victim running a light, but what if his brakes failed? Did he try to beat a changing yellow light, or was it solid red? How fast was the other vehicle traveling on the crossroad? Could either person have been distracted or impaired and not noticed the other?
I'm not saying it's impossible that the victim made a mistake, but sometimes people are eager to blame motorcyclists without considering the bigger picture. Public bias against them is a well-known issue in the legal world and it's something I've contended with many times when representing them. The idea that they're all reckless is so pervasive that it usually takes proving an injured rider didn't jump over ten exploding school buses before the crash that hurt them.
Only further careful investigation could really say what happened here. Making sure the investigators in charge have the experience and equipment to consider all of these possibilities, even less-likely ones, is crucial for ensuring the truth is found and the victim's loved ones get the answers and help they deserve.
