Alexxia Tucker Injured in Truck Accident on FM 2001 in Hays County, TX
Hays County, TX — June 15, 2022, 18-year-old Alexxia Tucker was injured in a crash with a commercial truck on FM 2001 in Hays County.
According to reports the incident happened around 6:20 a.m. on FM 2001 near Hillside Terrace. Preliminary investigation suggests a Freightliner truck was towing a trailer east on Hillside Terrace, approaching the stop sign at FM 2001. Reports say the truck driver started to turn left and failed to yield to Tucker's southbound Chevrolet Impala. The front of the car and the truck's front collided in the southbound lane.
Tucker suffered serious injuries in the crash. No other injuries were reported.
Inspection of the truck later showed it had defective brakes.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Alexxia Tucker Accident in Hays County
If reports have their facts straight it seems almost beyond dispute that the truck and its driver are to blame for this wreck. No only did the driver allegedly fail to yield to thru-traffic, but it's also unclear whether he even could have if the truck's brakes were defective as suggested.
With that said, however, no matter how a commercial crash looks on paper it's another thing entirely to hold a truck driver (and by extension his employer) accountable for it. People who haven't crashed with an 18-wheeler probably don't realize the battles that await those who do--not just the difficulties of recovery, but also holding the right parties responsible for the damage done.
The default position of most trucking companies is to deny liability for a wreck unless they're confronted with clear and inescapable evidence showing their driver is to blame. That means disputing police findings as well as blaming any other scapegoats they can think of.
Another recent crash in Texas shows how far they'll take that and why it's so important to find the facts to refute their arguments. I didn't litigate the case, but I can think of few clearer warnings about the need for a careful and thorough investigation.
In that situation an 18-wheeler veered onto a highway's shoulder and hit a man changing a flat tire. The victim's family rightly felt the truck driver was negligent, and their attorney thought the facts were clear enough that he didn't have to prepare for the company to fight back in court.
The defense team caught them all completely off-guard by claiming the truck lost control due to a faulty part manufactured by a foreign company. Because the attorney hadn't gotten a forensic analysis of the truck done to refute that, somehow the absurd argument convinced the jury. They put 100% of the blame on the part's manufacturer, letting the trucking company off essentially scot-free. After that the victim's family was left with little more than an empty chair to pursue as they sought answers and accountability.
That crash and the one in Hays County obviously aren't identical, but I can't help but notice that "defective brakes" were specifically mentioned in reports and those brakes had to be made somewhere. Whether or not the truck's owners try a similar defense, virtually every commercial wreck requires victims to expect pushback from companies and their insurers. Will the necessary facts be found so the victim has what she needs to seek help and justice?
