Elisa Armendariz Killed in Jal, NM, 18-wheeler Accident
Jal, NM -- January 15, 2017, Eliza Armendariz was killed following an accident in which her vehicle and an 18-wheeler crashed head-on.
According to reports by the New Mexico State Police, the accident occurred just outside Jal along NM-18 at about 3:00 a.m.
Preliminary police investigations indicate that 27-year-od Armendariz was traveling down the highway when her vehicle somehow crossed paths with an oncoming 18-wheeler. Before the accident could be avoided, the 18-wheeler struck her vehicle head-on.
Armendariz was fatally injured in the crash, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Reports did not specify the truck driver's condition.
Authorities did not release any further information regarding the accident. Their investigations are ongoing.
Map of the Area
Commentary
Some of these early reports have indicated that the accident was caused by Miss Armendariz crossing over the center traffic line. This is certainly a possibility, and unfortunately it happens all too often. However, it's also common to see these early reports either make mistakes or fail to report crucial information after an accident. Despite this, many people think that early reports are the end-all-be-all on determining who was at fault for an accident. The truth is that with truck accidents, things are never that simple.
Truck accidents can be very complex for various reasons. Sometimes, things are difficult just because of all the possible factors that could have caused the accident. Trucks are very heavy vehicles, and whenever they're involved in an accident, the damage to both vehicles can be quite severe. This means that anyone who isn't so experienced with truck accidents could easily overlook important evidence at the scene. Without a professional investigation, those affected by the truck accident may find the report on their accident hits the whos and whats but not the hows or whys.
Another important thing to highlight is that truck accidents bring with them a certain risk of encountering a not-so-honest trucking company. Our firm has dealt with hundreds of trucking companies over the years. Most of them have been entirely professional when seeking compensation for the victims and their families. However, we've also encountered plenty who do whatever it takes to avoid liability. They've been known to cover up and destroy evidence as well as lie to investigators at the scene. Grim as it may be, this is a strong possibility whenever the truck driver is the only survivor and there were no witnesses. Only one side of the story can be told to police, and without closely examining evidence, the truth could be lost. Like I said, this isn't exactly common, and there are plenty of reputable trucking companies out there. It's simply a risk that we've seen happen all too often. The article below goes more in-depth on this topic.
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In the end, the best thing to do after any truck accident is conducting a private investigation. Early police reports often gloss over pertinent information and rarely go back to fill in the blanks. By conducting an independent investigation, victims and their families can ensure that all evidence is thoroughly examined and nothing falls through the cracks. The investigation can give them an opportunity and the necessary tools to seek compensation, or it could confirm beyond doubt what police investigations originally said. Either way, the only way to move forward toward a resolution is to have the complete picture. When someone is hurt or killed in an accident, nothing less than the entire story will do.
--Grossman Law Offices
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