Clinesha Dews Injured in Truck Accident on SH 64 in Van Zandt County, TX
Van Zandt County, TX — January 9, 2023, 30-year-old Clinesha Dews was seriously injured in a crash with a commercial truck on State Highway 64 in Van Zandt County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 2:40 p.m. on Highway 64 at County Road 4500 and Farm to Market Road 858. Preliminary investigation suggests a Volvo tractor-trailer was eastbound on FM 858 when the driver started to turn left onto northbound CR 4500. Investigators say the truck driver failed to yield before turning and the trailer was blocking the travel lanes of Highway 64 when Dews' Volkswagen Passat crashed into its front-right quarter.
Dews was seriously injured in the collision. The truck driver was unhurt.
No further information is currently available.
Reports suggest that the truck driver's failure to yield to thru-traffic was this crash's main factor. Some may think that's essentially enough to hold him—and by extension his employer—responsible for the injuries caused in the wreck, but the reality is that almost no commercial truck accident is that straightforward.
Truck drivers can make mistakes like anyone else, but because of how much their employers stand to lose if they're found at fault they've developed many tricks and strategies to avoid liability—no matter how preliminary reports look. After the Van Zandt crash above, for example, I wouldn't be surprised if they suggested the victim's alleged speeding (reportedly 70 in a 60mph zone) was more to blame. Is that true? Frankly it seems unlikely, but they don't actually have to know or care since the burden of proving the true story falls to the victim.
The point is that even if preliminary information suggests a truck driver is to blame, a company's stubbornness and inventiveness shouldn't be underestimated. That's why I try to inform people about the challenges they might face in situations like this, and ways to overcome them. Click below to learn more.
