One Injured in Crash with Parked 18-Wheeler on I-45 in Houston, TX
Houston, TX — December 25, 2022, a pickup truck driver was seriously injured after crashing with a parked 18-wheeler on Interstate 45 in Houston.
Authorities say the incident happened around 12:20 a.m. along inbound I-45 near Gulf Bank. The cause and circumstances of the crash aren't clear yet, but preliminary reports say a pickup lost control on the road and veered into a semi-truck parked on the shoulder. After the impact the pickup caught fire.
Responders put out the fire and extricated the pinned pickup driver, after which they airlifted him to an area hospital. No other injuries were reported.
The investigation continues. No further information is currently available.
Over the years I've learned people tend not to be very charitable toward drivers who hit parked vehicles. The general idea is that only one of them was in motion, so if he lost control he must have been reckless or distracted. However, things aren't always that straightforward and fault is never automatic. There's often more to the story than it first seems.
For example, not a lot of people consider that 18-wheelers parked along the interstate aren't always doing so legally. Truck drivers sometimes stop for illegitimate reasons or fail to follow the rules after parking on the shoulder.
While it's still extremely important to find out why the injured man left his travel lane, it's not the only detail to clarify. I'd say his serious injuries are more than enough reason to learn the whole truth.
