Itshia Ineace Brandford, 2 Injured in 18-wheeler Accident in Dallas, TX
Dallas, TX -- June 10, 2022, Itshia Ineace Brandford and two others were injured as the result of an accident involving an 18-wheeler.
Preliminary reports indicated that the crash took place at around 12:19 p.m. along I-30 near Hampton Road.
According to officials, 41-year-old Itshia Ineace Brandford was a passenger in a Chevy Cruze traveling eastbound along the freeway. Police say they believe that the 18-year-old driver of the car was inattentive and hit the back of an 18-wheeler apparently going "under the speed limit".
Due to the crash, Brandford and the Chevy driver reportedly had incapacitating injuries while a child in the car had possible injuries. Authorities did not give additional details about the crash.
Commentary on Itshia Ineace Brandford Truck Accident in Dallas
Something that stands out to me here is police saying the driver was inattentive. They don't really say why they think that. When I see those details about a teen driver, I can't help wondering if authorities simply assumed the driver was doing something wrong due to their age. This is also a problem with rear-end collisions, since folks tend to immediately blame the rear driver. But is that really what happened?
It's undeniably common for inattention and unsafe speeds to lead to crashes like this. It's also undeniable for teen drivers to engage in that kind of behavior. But that's no excuse to overlook other possibilities. For example, police also indicate the truck was going under the speed limit. People tend to associate that with being safe, but 10 MPH on a freeway is "under the speed limit," yet it is dangerously under the limit. An 18-wheeler going too slow on the highway is an unnecessary hazard in most situations. So just how far below the speed limit was this truck going?
That's just one potential detail to consider further. Things like video evidence, crash reconstruction, ECM data, cell phone records, lighting, whether or not someone was changing lanes, if other vehicles were involved, the condition of the trailer's underride bar, and other potential factors are all examples of things police don't really address here. Perhaps more thorough independent investigations would show that there's a lot more to this crash than folks would generally assume.
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