• January 11, 2023

Bastrop, TX — August 2, 2022, 24-year-old Rebecca Tucker was injured in a crash with a tractor-trailer on State Highway 21 in Bastrop County.

Authorities say the incident happened around 7:55 a.m. on Texas 21 East at Loop 150. Preliminary investigation suggests a commercial Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck was towing a trailer loaded with a forklift east on Highway 21 when it approached the Loop 150 intersection, where it reportedly had a red light. At the same time Tucker was driving a Ford Bronco north on the Loop and had a green light at Highway 21.

According to investigators, the Dodge driver disregarded the red light and continued east, then crashed into the driver's side of the northbound Bronco. Tucker was seriously injured in the collision; no other injuries were reported.

No further information is currently available.

Investigators seem to feel the commercial driver ran a red light and triggered this crash. That may seem so straightforward that folks feel there's little else for the driver and his employer to do besides accept responsibility and make amends, but that may be premature. Most accidents are more complicated than they seem, both in terms of how they happen and--in the case of commercial wrecks--how they're handled afterward.

What do I mean? Well, over the years I've found that commercial entities like trucking companies are far more likely to dig in their heels and dispute liability than they are to apologize and make things right. They have a lot to lose if they're found responsible for their drivers' mistakes, and like anyone with a lot to lose they'll fight like hell not to. That can take a lot of forms, from simply dragging the process out as long as possible to sending out their own investigators to deflecting blame anywhere they think it might stick, but overall the aftermath of a commercial wreck may be an uphill battle for the people hurt in it. I wrote about some of the potential hurdles they can expect; click below to learn more.