Taliah Mims, Jon Coffey Injured in Truck Accident in Palo Pinto County, TX
Palo Pinto County, TX -- December 9, 2022, Taliah Mims and Jon Coffey were injured due to an accident involving a tractor-trailer and a bus.
Investigators said that the incident happened at around 2:00 p.m. along I-20 near US 281.
It appears that a tractor-trailer somehow was going eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-20. As a result, the tractor-trailer crashed into a Gunter ISD school bus carrying students and staff from a football game in Abilene.
Due to the crash, the bus driver, 41-year-old Taliah Mims, was taken to a hospital. The truck driver, 64-year-old Jon Coffey, was also injured. Right now, investigators say a medical issue may have been the cause of the crash. This and other details are under investigation.
Commentary on Taliah Mims, Jon Coffey Truck Accident in Palo Pinto County
A commercial truck crashing into oncoming traffic is pretty darn serious, which is why it seems almost miraculous more people weren't hurt or killed. The possibility of a medical condition could very well explain such a shocking series of events, but it's important people understand what all that could actually mean for the victims and families involved. Some folks may think a medical emergency is entirely unforeseeable. It certainly can be, but that's not always true.
Take for example a serious truck wreck I handled a while back involving similar claims of a medical emergency. Investigations confirmed that the truck driver in that case did indeed lose control after suffering a medical emergency. However, what authorities overlooked was that the driver had a long history of serious medical issues. Why did that matter, though?
Generally speaking, employers have a responsibility to ensure their drivers can safely do their jobs. If it's clear someone's medical conditions will likely lead to a serious accident, they shouldn't be behind the wheel. A company allowing them to continue driving not only puts their own driver at risk, but it puts countless other lives in the community at risk. The company in that case was either too inept to see the risks or too irresponsible to give a damn.
Not only could certain oversights show that this crash was avoidable, but they could also show that there's a company out there continuing to put the public at risk. That's why getting victims and families the help they deserve means getting them clear answers. It remains to be seen if that's happening here.
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