Driver Faces Charges Following Collision with TxDOT Truck

Authorities report that 7 family members were injured on Monday, December 28, in a truck accident involving a TxDOT truck. One of the family members was driving and now faces charges regarding the incident.

7 family members and one employee with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) were hospitalized following a collision on Monday morning. The driver of the family vehicle is now facing charges for failing to move over for the TxDOT truck. The collision occurred on northbound U.S. Highway 77, south of Ricardo.

The family was returning to Ricardo after a Christmas holiday when their family truck struck the back of the TxDOT Scorpion truck on Highway 77 near FM 772. Scorpion trucks are used to flash information to drivers along the highway.

One of the family members suffered critical injuries, and all remained hospitalized as of Dec. 29. The TxDOT employee is no longer hospitalized and is expected to recover fully from their injuries.

An investigation into this accident is still ongoing.

Pickup truck accidents have been on the rise relatively steadily for the past decade. According to data gathered by the TxDOT , pickup truck accidents peaked in 2018 at 1,351. In 2019, that number actually went down by about 2% to 1,326. However, this decrease may not be cause for celebration just yet, as truck accidents have dipped and rebounded in the past.

We can get a better idea of Texas’ pickup truck accident issue by looking at where these crashes actually happen. According to the data, most pickup truck accidents happen in rural areas, unsurprisingly. In 2019, for instance, 59% of pickup truck accidents happened in rural areas. However, the disparity between rural and urban crashes is actually getting smaller, meaning more pickup truck accidents are happening in urban areas. In comparison to 2019’s 59%, nearly 64% of 2012 Texas pickup truck accidents happened in the country. This increase in urban pickup truck accidents shouldn’t come as a surprise to those familiar with Texas’ urban boom in recent years.

Despite economic slowdowns caused by the pandemic, Texas cities like Houston continue to grow and prosper. In fact, according to the Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research, the Houston metro-area continues to add roughly 100,000 new residents yearly despite the coronavirus.

However, for now, most pickup truck accidents still occur on country roads. Driving in the country can be particularly tricky, especially for those who without experience driving on rural roads. To learn a bit more about how to adjust your habits while driving in the country, you can check out our handy tips below. Download and share our country-driving hints with friends and loved ones to help them stay safe, too.

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Source : KRISTV

Driver Faces Charges Following Collision with TxDOT Truck

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