Terry Blankenship Injured in Truck Accident in Tyler County, TX
Tyler County, TX -- March 3, 2023, Terry Blankenship was injured due to an accident where a log truck and a pickup collided.
Authorities said that the collision happened between Hillister and Spurger at around 8:30 a.m. According to their statements, 63-year-old Terry Blankenship was in a pickup going along FM 1013. At the intersection of CR-4387, a log truck ahead of Blankenship reportedly went left of center to make a wide right turn. While turning, Blankenship's vehicle hit the truck.
Blankenship was taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries. Authorities say they cited the truck driver for an unsafe turn. Right now, additional details are unavailable.
People may see the apparent citations filed here and assume that makes a situation like this open-and-shut. But it would surprise folks to see just how often a citation or even a criminal charge has little impact when it isn't backed up by a body of clear evidence.
I've had situations where trucking companies blamed flashing ambulance lights instead of their driver being high on drugs. I've seen them blame someone for being disabled in the roadway when their driver was watching TV shows on their tablet. I've had companies blame someone for speeding when their driver pulled across a dark highway without proper lighting on their trailer.
In each of those situations, the key thing that broke through all that crap was evidence. When the facts speak for themselves, all that talking that insurance companies and trucking companies do loses a lot of energy. That's why situations like this should always be taken as seriously as possible. There's no such thing as a simple or straight-forward truck wreck, and I can only hope the authorities here were experienced enough to give the crash the attention it deserved.
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