A 19-year-old Texas college student was fatally injured after she collided with the median on highway 69, spun around in her car and was later hit by another passing truck. According to news reports of the crash, another driver had tried to assist the teen driver whose car was disabled on the road after the initial crash into the center barrier, but was unable to stop a dump-truck-size truck from hitting her.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) has opened a preliminary investigation into the fatal teen driving crash. There was an indication that the teen may have been drinking before getting into the fatal accident. The TABC is looking into whether a South Texas bar may have illegally served the minor before the crash.
Texas is above the national average in numbers of teens involved in motor vehicle crashes. Nationwide teens account for 15 percent of accident; here in Texas, teen drivers are involved in 22 percent of wrecks.
Teen drivers, particularly 16-year-old drivers, are more likely than all other drivers to get into a fatal motor vehicle accident, according to the Texas Transportation Institute. The main culprit is driver inexperience, which is worsened by:
- Driving at night
- Distracted driving, including driving with others in the car or texting while driving
- Speeding
- Not wearing a seat belt
- Using alcohol or drugs
Car crashes are the number one killer of Texas teens and young people across the country. Close to 70 percent of teens who are fatally injured receive their injuries in a motor vehicle accident.
Source: 12News, “Fatal accident sparks TABC investigation,” February 19, 2013