One Injured in Truck Accident on FM 362 in Waller County, TX
Waller County, TX — October 31, 2022, a 19-year-old man was seriously injured in a crash with a commercial truck on FM 362 in Waller County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 6:30 p.m. on FM 362 near FM 529. Preliminary investigation suggests the victim was driving a Hyundai Elantra through a Chevron gas station when he started to turn left onto southbound FM 362. Police believe he failed to yield to approaching traffic and the turning Hyundai was hit on its rear driver's side by a northbound Mack truck.
The car's driver was taken to an area hospital. No other injuries were reported.
No further information is currently available.
People may see this as a pretty clear-cut (though unfortunate) case of failure to yield. That's what police seem to think too, but one thing I've learned over the years is that preliminary reports don't always have the whole picture. Officers put together a rough sketch of what happened, but they don't always have the time or the inclination to look closer and get all the details. What if there's more to the story here? How fast was the Mack truck traveling? Were sightlines blocked in that area? Were both drivers awake, alert, and watching their surroundings? This happened right around sunset, so how were visibility and light conditions?
I don't want to complicate things here, but they often are more complicated than a few vague sentences in the news or a police report really show. Could this just be a matter of a momentary but costly mistake? Sure. Could there be more to it, though? Absolutely, so I hope someone makes sure they get the whole and true story. The victim deserves no less.
