Tabatha Romaker Killed, Frankie Santos Injured in Arlington, TX, Accident
Arlington, TX -- March 4, 2017, Tabatha Romaker was killed, Frankie Santos injured, due to an accident where their vehicle lost control and crashed.
The Arlington Police Department reported on the fatal crash which occurred just before 10:00 p.m. along the I-20 service road.
Police stated that Romaker and Santos, both 17, were in a vehicle traveling eastbound on the service road. Close to the intersection of Matlock Road, the vehicle lost control and veered off the roadway. As the car spun out, it was struck by another vehicle also traveling eastbound.
As a result of the collision, Romaker and Santos both sustained critical injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals. Romaker died from her injuries while Santos remained in critical condition. The driver of the other vehicle had non-critical injuries and was also taken to a hospital.
Authorities say that wet roads were a likely contributor to the crash. Their investigations are ongoing.
Map of the Area
Commentary
It's just tragic to see people so young affected by an accident like this. It's important after an accident like this that investigators ensure every possible factors is thoroughly examined. It's easy enough to say wet roads caused the crash, but let's not forget there is another car involved here. Regardless of what caused the victims' vehicle to lose control, the collision itself was what caused the injuries.
Our laws hold drivers to a standard that they take all necessary actions to avoid an accident when at all possible. This means all drivers must remain attentive and ready to react to a situation within reasonable possibility. I've seen a lot of accidents where a car loses control and gets hit by another vehicle, and many times the other driver simply doesn't have enough time avoid a crash. A car can only stop so quickly once reaction times are factored in, and this is only made worse by poor road conditions.
However, there have also been plenty of accidents where a the other vehicle crashed into the disabled car when they had plenty of time to react. They could have stopped or gone around the car, but they were either speeding, texting, or otherwise not paying enough attention to the road. Whenever this happens, it's possible that driver can be held liable for the crash. After all, their negligence was significant contributor to the crash itself.
Whether or not something like this happened in this particular accident still remains to be seen. It's entirely likely that the other driver just couldn't stop in time. However, with one person dead and another with critical injuries, it's necessary that investigations take all possible factors into account. If it turns out someone else's negligence caused these kids' injuries, then that person should be held accountable.
--Grossman Law Offices
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