Man Killed in Houston, TX, Pedestrian Accident on SW Freeway
Houston, TX -- March 12, 2017, a man was killed after an accident where he was hit by an SUV and a wrecker on the Southwest Freeway.
The Houston Police Department received the emergency call around 1:00 a.m. The incident occurred near the intersection of Southwest Freeway and Fondren Road.
According to preliminary investigations, a man was attempting to cross the highway on foot. As he did so, he was somehow struck by a southbound SUV. Authorities say the SUV stopped at the scene and called for emergency services. Reports also say a wrecker passed the scene and then turned around to come back. For reasons unclear, the wrecker somehow truck the pedestrian a second time when arriving at the scene.
As a result of the incident, the man died at the scene. No other injuries occurred. Police have not indicated any charges or citations resulting from the accident. No further information is currently available.
Map of the Area
Commentary
A lot of people may see this and think that the tow truck driver involved in the accident is basically going to get hammered with a huge lawsuit for which there is no possible defense. I mean, how could he not see the victim on the ground as he approached?
While things may seem pretty straight-forward, people need to remember that there are two vehicles involved in this accident. Whenever that's the case, there tends to be a fierce competition between each driver's insurance company to blame the other person involved. Any chance to avoid fault for an accident is prime opportunity for insurance companies to mud sling, bend truths, and ultimately argue for their own advantage at the detriment of the people who actually matter here: the surviving family of the victim.
So what exactly are they arguing about? Well, the victim was hit twice: once by the SUV, then again when the tow truck ran him over. It could be that the initial collision with the SUV killed the victim immediately, but perhaps the victim survived that collision and was just waiting for medical teams to arrive. Then the tow truck comes along, well-meaning as the driver may have been, and runs him over a second time. Was it the highway-speed collision of the SUV, or was it the multi-ton commercial tow truck running him over? It's nearly impossible to tell without a closer look at the evidence, but I can almost guarantee each insurance company will sound very sure of themselves as they're blaming the other driver involved. Meanwhile, the victims get lost in all the noise, and actual evidence falls to the wayside while the two insurance companies desperately fight to avoid blame.
If you think such childish finger-pointing doesn't work, it absolutely can. Insurance companies know that nothing in the law requires them pay compensation to a victim. Therefore, the only way for victims to get justice is to have a jury rule in their favor, or put the fear of God into an insurance company that a jury will make them pay.
In order to do this, there absolutely needs to be a thorough, independent investigation to determine exactly what happened. By having cold, hard facts at hand, speculation and baseless claim can be refuted through a lens of truth. By presenting actual evidence of what occurred in the accident, the family of the victim gives themselves proper ground to seek the justice that they deserve. Whether it's the SUV driver or the tow truck driver who was responsible for the tragedy, having tangible evidence is the first step in holding that person accountable for their actions.
--Grossman Law Offices
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