UPDATE: Suleika Fonseca, Alessandra Garcia Dead, Bertha Ortega de Negrete, Alfredo Gonzalez Injured in Laredo, TX, Accident
Laredo, TX -- February 13, 2017, Suleika Reyna-Fonseca, Alessandra Garcia were killed, Bertha Ortega de Negrete, Alfredo Gonzalez injured in a truck accident.
Update February 20, 2017: Reports have confirmed that Bertha Ortega de Negrete succumbed to her injuries on Friday, February 17. Reports have also confirmed that the accident was caused by the 18-wheeler swerving into oncoming traffic after trying to avoid cars in front of it. In light of this, it needs to be determined why the 18-wheeler could not slow down in time. It could be that a vehicle cut the driver off at the last second, or perhaps the trucker was driving too fast or following to closely, leaving himself little time to react properly. If one of the latter two led to this tragedy, the truck driver needs to be held accountable for those actions. Three people lost their lives, and someone's negligence is to blame for that. Irresponsible driving such as this deserves to face justice.
The Laredo Police department were called out to the scene of the accident at around 3:00 p.m. just east of town. The crash happened along State Highway 359.
According to preliminary reports, 34-year-old Fonseco was driving a Toyota Tundra westbound on the highway. 59-year-old de Negrete and 2-month-old Garcia were passengers.
Reports are not entirely clear, but their vehicle somehow crossed paths with an oncoming tractor-tanker being driven by 48-year-old Gonzalez. The two vehicles crashed, and both traveled off-road and came to a stop.
Both Fonseco and infant Garcia sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene. Ortega de Negrete was transported to a hospital in critical condition, and Gonzalez was taken for treatment of minor injuries.
At this time, authorities have not yet specified the factors surrounding the crash. Their investigations are ongoing at this time.
Map of the Area
Commentary
The details surrounding this accident haven't been very clear, and it's difficult to figure out exactly what happened. Some reports I've seen have suggested that the 18-wheeler was attempting to avoid another vehicle, causing the trailer to whip into oncoming lanes where it struck the Toyota. If this is the case, then there could be a claim against the trucking company involved.
There are many reasons a truck would need to swerve in such a manner. 18-wheelers are bulky, massive, and dangerous under certain circumstances. Getting an 18-wheeler to make evasive maneuvers in a split second is incredibly difficult and often ends with some sort of collision. Many truck drivers have fallen victim to some crazy driver texting and pulling right out in front of them. When that happens, a truck driver has little choice but to swerve in either direction and try to miss the car.
However, there are also plenty of accidents where the truck driver is either speeding or not paying attention to the road when they suddenly have to react to someone hitting their breaks or changing lanes in front of them. Now they're slamming on their brakes and swerving out of the way because their following distance was too short or they were going too fast. These actions often lead to accidents like this one and cause massive amounts of destruction.
All drivers owe a duty to avoid accidents whenever possible. Considering the size and destructive potential of semis, commercial drivers are held to an especially high standard for preventing accidents. In order to move forward after an accident like this one, it needs to be determined how exactly the two vehicles crossed paths and actions or events which caused that to happen.
--Grossman Law Offices
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