A speeding tow truck slammed into the rear of a passenger vehicle in Northwest Harris County on Sunday morning, tragically killing a baby boy and injuring his mother.
Tow Truck Driver Did Not Attempt to Brake Before Crash
The February 13th crash occurred shortly after 10:00 a.m. at the intersection of Cunningham and Little York Road. According to law enforcement officials, the mother and her infant son (between 4 and 7 months) were inside a Nissan stopped at a red light.
The tow truck approached the intersection at a high rate of speed, failed to stop, and slammed into the rear of the Nissan before dragging it into a ditch. At that point, a sedan being towed by the truck also flipped over into the ditch.
“We see this all too often,” said Harris County Vehicular Crimes Division Chie Sean Teare, according to Click2Houston.
“We see no indication that there was any breaking prior to the impact,” Teare continued. “He ran into the back of that Nissan [and] drove them a number of feet into the ditch.”
Tow Truck Driver Charged with Manslaughter in Baby’s Death
Paramedics rushed the boy and his mother to an area hospital, where the baby later died. So far, officials have not commented on his mother’s condition or the nature of her injuries.
The 39-year-old tow truck driver escaped the crash without injury. He was later taken into custody and charged with manslaughter in connection with the baby’s death.
According to authorities, the driver does have a prior criminal history.
In 2004, he was sentenced to five years in prison for the aggravated sexual assault of a child. In 2011, he was sentenced to six months for a drug-related charge.
According to ABC13, the tow truck he was driving belonged to Houston-based Classic Towing. So far, the company has not commented on yesterday morning’s deadly crash.
Common Tow Truck Accident Causes
Like any large commercial truck, tow trucks are heavier and more challenging to maneuver than standard passenger vehicles. As a result, any accident involving a tow or wrecker truck has a greater potential to cause severe and deadly injuries, especially when smaller passenger vehicles are involved.
For this reason, the state of Texas requires that drivers have a valid license and permit to operate a tow truck. Towing companies are also required to hire drivers with good driving records, provide safety and operation training to all their drivers, and ensure their vehicles are properly maintained and in good repair. A tow truck company that fails to meet its responsibilities can be held liable for the actions of its driver in the event of a crash.
Having successfully represented thousands of truck accident victims across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and throughout the United States, it’s been our experience that the majority of tow truck accidents are entirely preventable and usually result from negligence on the part of the truck driver, the towing company, or both.
Some of the most common causes of tow truck crashes include:
- Speeding and Reckless Driving: Tow truck drivers often speed or drive recklessly in a rush to be first on scene of the accident.
- Unsafe Parking: Once they arrive, tow truck drivers commonly block lanes and obstruct traffic with their trucks, creating a hazard for other drivers.
- Improperly Secured Vehicles: A towed vehicle that’s not adequately secured to the truck will detach, creating a dangerous (and often fatal) hazard for other motorists.
- Driver Inexperience: Like many other trucking companies, towing companies are struggling with a severe labor shortage. As a result, they are more likely to hire drivers without experience driving tow trucks or other commercial vehicles.
- Driver Fatigue: Tow trucks operate 24/7, working long hours and consecutive shifts without taking legally required rest breaks.
- Inadequate Vehicle Maintenance: Many tow truck companies are small operations with inadequate maintenance requirements. As a result, they often neglect to take the trucks out of service for needed inspections and repairs.
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Our Undefeated Houston Truck Accident Lawyers are investigating yesterday’s deadly tow truck crash and will post an update if new information becomes available.
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If you or a loved one was injured or tragically killed in a tow truck accident or other commercial vehicle crash, our truck accident attorneys can help. Please call 1-888-603-3636, use the form on the right, or click here to send us a confidential email.
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