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18-Wheeler Driver Faces Intoxication Manslaughter Charge After Deadly I-10 East Freeway Pileup

18-Wheeler Driver Faces Intoxication Manslaughter Charge After Deadly I-10 East Freeway Pileup
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Undefeated Houston Truck Accident Lawyers

The driver of an 18-wheeler involved in a deadly four-vehicle accident along the I-10 East Freeway in Houston, Texas, earlier this week has been arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Peterbilt Truck Collided with Rear of Ford Tahoe

The April 18th pile-up occurred shortly after 11:30 a.m., as the four vehicles, including a Chevrolet Tahoe, a Kenworth 18-wheeler, a Ford Transit van, and a Peterbilt semi-truck, were headed east near the 7800 block of the East Freeway.

According to the Houston Police Department, the Ford Transit was stopped due to traffic, and the Kenworth truck came to a stop behind it. The driver of the Tahoe may have been changing lanes and hit the Kenworth from behind.

At that point, the Peterbilt 18-wheeler driven by Pablo Isai Frias, 31, collided with the rear of the Tahoe.

The woman driving the Tahoe was pronounced dead at the scene. Release of her identity is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. No one else was hurt in the crash.

After police determined that Frias was impaired, he was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter. He is scheduled to appear in probable cause court this morning.

Truckers and Intoxicated Driving

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in any given year, more than one-quarter of all U.S. traffic fatalities involved impaired drivers. And in 2017, roughly 3.6% of all commercial truck accident fatalities involved an impaired truck driver.

Operating any vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol can adversely impact the ability to drive in several ways:

  • Poor judgment
  • Reduced awareness
  • Slowed reaction time
  • Loss of muscle control
  • Release of inhibition
  • Decline in cognitive and motor functioning

Because they’re so much larger than typical passenger cars and require more time to stop in an emergency, 18-wheelers and other large commercial vehicles are especially dangerous when an impaired driver is behind the wheel. For that reason, Texas considers any commercial driver with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .04 or higher to be legally intoxicated compared to .08 for all other motorists.

In Texas, intoxication manslaughter is classified as a second-degree felony. A conviction will result in a prison sentence ranging from two to 20 years, a fine of up to $10,000, and a requirement to serve between 240 and 800 hours of community service.

Contact Our Undefeated Houston Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consult at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here

Our Undefeated Houston 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers are investigating Monday’s deadly pile-up along the I-10 East Freeway and will post an update if new information becomes available.

Having won Billions for thousands of crash victims throughout Texas and across the United States, our Experienced Truck Accident Lawyers have the resources and knowledge to take on the largest trucking and transportation companies in the world and consistently win Record-Breaking Verdicts and Settlements on behalf of our clients and their families.

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