Teenagers Injured in Truck Accident on FM 917 in Johnson County, TX
Johnson County, TX -- December 27, 2022, two teenagers were hurt due to an accident involving a tractor-trailer.
From authorities, details say that the crash happened just before 6:00 p.m. along FM 917 near Longhorn Drive.
Investigations said that four teenagers were in an Infiniti traveling westbound along FM 917. It appears that an 18-wheeler ahead made a left turn off Longhorn Drive, following which the Infiniti driver swerved to avoid the truck. It's unclear if the vehicles made contact.
The Infiniti ended up crashing off-road and overturning. As a result, two 16-year-old passengers were injured. The driver and the other passenger weren't hurt.
What stands out to me in these reports is that authorities don't seem to think that the truck failed to yield, or at least they don't say so. When I see a truck turning through a stop sign, and a car swerves to avoid hitting it, 9 times out of 10 investigations will show the truck driver screwed up. So what would make this crash different? It's entirely possible for something to lead a driver to reasonably think they can make a turn, such as a vehicle driving without headlights or at obscenely high speeds. Perhaps there is an explanation like that here.
But even at a few miles over the speed limit, most accidents like this can be avoided if the driver making the turn just waits patiently for the vehicle to pass. I can't help being concerned about the possibility someone whose actions sent two kids to the hospital isn't facing appropriate consequences for those actions.
[jump]
