On Thursday, October 27, at approximately 10 p.m. the driver of a Jeep vehicle crashed into the back of a Houston Fire Department truck on the East Freeway in Houston. The accident happened while the Houston firefighters were clearing a minor crash from the road.
The Houston Police Department reported that the driver of the Jeep indicated that he glanced at his phone for a moment and missed the fire truck before he crashed into it. The severity of the crash significantly damaged the fire truck to the point where it was no longer drivable. The driver of the Jeep was taken to the hospital but no firefighters were injured.
Distracted driving has become an epidemic across the United States. According to the Texas Motor Vehicle Crash Statistics, 14,804 car crashes in 2016 were caused by distracted drivers. Amongst those, 298 individuals suffered incapacitating injuries and 27 were fatal. Ever since September 1, 2017, texting while driving is punishable in Texas by a fine of between $25 and $99 for first-time offenders, and $100-$200 for repeat offenders. If an accident caused by texting results in death or serious bodily injury, the individual can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor.
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a vehicle crash caused by a distracted driver, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.