• November 10, 2017

UPDATE: Rosa Luna, 2 Injured in El Paso, TX, Pile-up Accident

El Paso, TX -- November 9, 2017, Rosa Luna and two others were injured following an accident where an 18-wheeler caused a pile-up on I-10.

Update November 13, 2017: Reports have come out stating that Rosa Luna passed away from the injuries she sustained in the accident. Reports also identified the truck driver who hit her vehicle as Gary McDaniel of Arlington. There is still no word on charges or citations resulting from the accident.

Officials from the El Paso Police Department reported that the incident happened just before 8:00 a.m. near the intersection of I-10 and Yarbrough Drive.

According to police investigators, traffic was backing up in the eastbound lanes of the interstate. As it did so, a tractor-trailer reportedly, "failed to see the traffic building up," and crashed into the line of vehicles.

The collision involved at least nine vehicles. Rose Luna, one of the drivers, sustained serious injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Reports also say two other drivers were taken to hospitals with less serious injuries.

It's unclear if any charges or citations were filed after the wreck. No further information is currently available.

Map of the Area

Commentary

I can't help but notice the reports I read using the words, "failed to see the traffic building up," to describe how this accident happened. It's a phrase that I see used often in the news to some degree or another, and it just gets under my skin. Yes, it is factually correct, but the wording almost comes off as an excuse for the truck driver.

I can't think of an accident that happened without someone "failing to see another vehicle." That's kind of how crashes happen. Now sometimes there's an incident where someone intentionally crashes into other vehicles, but that's incredibly rare.

So let's just look at that phrase, "failed to see traffic." Sure, once in a blue moon some natural phenomenon like fog or sun glare will obstruct a driver's vision. Even in those scenarios, however, the law expects motorists to slow down and drive with care so that they give themselves enough time to stop at a moment's notice.

When a report says that a driver "failed to see traffic," it's basically just a euphemism for "the driver wasn't paying attention to the road." At the end of the day, based on the reports I'm seeing, this driver screwed up, and the trucking company should be held accountable for the mistakes of their employee.

--Grossman Law Offices

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