Virtually everyone knows that after a motor vehicle accident, you find a safe place to park your car and exchange insurance information with the other driver. For one Houston motorist, however, the decision to pull over after a minor fender bender and exchange information proved fatal.
On a Friday afternoon, around 11:30 a.m., on the Northwest Freeway in Houston a black Dodge Ram pickup truck and a blue Toyota Scion were involved in a minor motor vehicle accident. In order to exchange insurance information and addresses following the fender bender, the drivers pulled over to the shoulder on the westbound side of U.S. 290.
As the vehicles remained on the side of the road, an 18-wheeler truck struck the back of the Scion. The 59-year-old driver of the Scion, who was in the passenger seat of his car retrieving his insurance information was thrown from the car. The impact of the 18-wheeler truck collision caused the Scion to hit the Dodge Ram and sideswipe a rental moving truck. The 59-year-old owner of the Scion died at the scene from his injuries.
Eyewitnesses said that all three vehicles traveled over 100 feet before they stopped.
According to Harris County police, alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the accident, but the driver of the 18-wheeler was arrested after police found that he had outstanding warrants for another matter.
Law enforcement officials are continuing to investigate the fatal truck accident.
Source: ABC13.com, “Highway 290 now open after fatal wreck,” 7/22/11.