Man Killed in Loose Cargo Accident on F.M. 140 in Atascosa County, TX
Atascosa County, TX — October 25, 2023, a man was killed as the result of a loose cargo truck accident that happened around 9:00 a.m. along F.M. 140.
Preliminary details about the crash say that it took place in the area of Farm-to-Market 140 mile marker 510.
Authorities said that a 43-year-old man was in a Chevy pickup traveling westbound along F.M. 140. From oncoming lanes, details say that an eastbound Dodge truck hauling a trailer lost a nearly two-ton air compressor. The compressor fell into the path of the Chevy, resulting in a collision.
Due to the collision, the Chevy driver sustained fatal injuries. There were no other reported injuries due to the accident. Right now, there is no specific cause for the crash. But it wouldn't surprise me if authorities have or eventually do file charges.
Cargo-related accidents are ninety-nine times out of a hundred the result of an avoidable mistake on the part of the driver, an employer, or both. For example, if a driver fails to secure the cargo properly, they can be responsible for a resulting crash. Or, if a company improperly secured the cargo for the driver, they could both be on the hook.
That's what happened in a wrongful death case I handled not too long ago. A driver died after hitting cargo that was hanging off the back of a trailer that was too small for the load, and it wasn't properly marked with a visible warning flag. Through our investigations, we found out that the truck driver picked up the load in its already dangerous state. That business knew the trailer was too short but didn't care to fix it, and they told the truck driver he could take it or go tell his boss why he didn't pick up the load. In the end, both parties were responsible for their respective actions which got someone killed.
Could this be some one-in-a-million situation that the driver hauling the cargo couldn't have prevented? Sure, and that's something a proper investigation would have to consider. That's possibly why we haven't seen much new information in the public about the investigations into this crash. If authorities are handling things properly, it's a lot more complex than just blaming the driver who was hauling the cargo and calling it a day. It could be there's a lot more to this story that needs to be addressed, and the victim's loved ones deserve to know they're getting the whole story.
