Archive for April, 2012

Seguin students lucky to be alive after school bus crash on SH 123

Students from Seguin, Texas were injured in a school bus accident on Friday and law enforcement officials are thankful there were no fatalities. The school bus was on its way to Barnes Middle School and Seguin High School with nine children on board when the crash happened on State Highway 123. DPS troopers say a Chrysler PT Cruiser moved over to the shoulder to allow an 18-wheeler to pass. At that time the 18-wheeler clipped the PT Cruiser sending it into the northbound traffic lane and causing the PT Cruiser to hit the school bus head-on. That set off a chain reaction collision followed by a fire which spread to the four vehicles involved. All 13 people involved were injured, but thankfully survived what could have been a multiple fatality accident.
Seguin school officials said that the 3 week old school bus was a new design that allowed the body of the school bus to detach from the chassis, reducing the impact of the collision on passengers inside. Fire fighters arriving at the scene found the school bus cab separated from the wheels and upside down. Workers on their way to work at Halliburton were praised for stopping at the crash site to help remove students from the wrecked bus and directing traffic. The 18-wheeler driver was flown to University Hospital in San Antonio in critical condition. Channel 11’s coverage of the Seguin school bus crash is here.

Four vehicles were involved in the crash on State Highway 123

The Smith & Hassler law firm has spent 23-years protecting the rights of persons injured throughout Texas in motor vehicle accidents.

Deputy hit by Isuzu Rodeo while directing funeral traffic

An off-duty deputy was working an extra job providing a motorcycle escort to a funeral when he was hit and injured by an Isuzu Rodeo SUV that failed to yield the right-of-way. The deputy was directing traffic at Martin Luther King and Bellfort: after the impact the Isuzu dragged the deputy across two lanes of traffic. According to police who investigated, the Isuzu failed to yield to the deputy. The deputy was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital for treatment. Channel 2’s story is here.

Smith & Hassler’ personal injury attorneys use their experience and expertise to effectively advise injured victims of motorcycle accidents in Houston and throughout Texas.

Bicyclist to hospital after hit-and-run accident with Ford Mutang

A blue Ford Mustang hit and woman bicyclist and then a building at the North Loop at North Main on Saturday night at around 1:20am. The woman was crossing the intersection on her bicycle when the Mustang struck her. Eyewitness Rick Halliburton said several drivers were waiting at the red light and was watching the woman make her way across the intersection when the Mustang began to weave through traffic and then hit her. Halliburton said the Mustang driver did not stop, the actually sped up: he tried to pass a truck on the right and hit the bicycle on the rear wheel, flipping the lady off the bike.
Several people tried to follow the Mustang after it fled but were unable to keep up. The driver eventually lost control of the Mustang and crashed into a metal building at the 8900 block of North Main at Crosstimbers, causing damage to machinery and equipment inside. The bicyclist was alert at the scene when she was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital by EMS. The accident was under investigation and police do not believe alcohol was a factor.
If you have been injured in hit-and-run accident, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler to make sure you understand your options when you are hit and hurt by a driver who did not stop.

Intoxication manslaughter charges brought against Matthew Green Shelton

On Wednesday at around 6:15pm 42-year old Steven Louis Hunt of Galveston and a friend were walking a dog along the Galveston Seawall when they were struck and killed by a car. The car was driven by Matthew Green Shelton, age 27, and it was announced this morning that Shelton has been charged with intoxication manslaughter. Alleged drunk driver Shelton and his passenger remain in stable condition at UTMB Galveston after the accident. Police say Shelton’s bond has been set at $100,000 and Shelton will be booked into Galveston County Jail when he is discharged from the hospital.
Channel 11’s report on Shelton’s charges is here. A Galveston Daily News article identifies the second pedestrian killed in the accident as 43-year old Joseph Owens. Apparently Shelton was driving a red-colored Mitsubishi sports car, which struck a parked black-colored Nissan Sentra. Police are trying to determine whether Shelton’s Mitsubishi hit the Sentra or the pedestrians first.

Matthew Green Shelton's red Mitsubishi is shown to the right, the black Nissan Sentra he struck to the left

Matthew Green Shelton (27) has been charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter

The experienced attorneys at Smith & Hassler practice only personal injury law and have handled injury and wrongful death claims brought against drunk drivers throughout Texas.  Contact Smith & Hassler to make sure you understand your legal rights.

Injury accident when school bus and pickup collide head on in Huffman

A school bus driving on FM 2100 in Huffman today was involved in a head-on crash with a pickup truck. The accident scene is FM 2100 at 1st street. Kids traveling on the school bus were attended to by paramedics and the driver of the pickup truck was taken to hospital via life flight helicopter. Three or four of the children on the school bus were taken to hospital as a precaution. From a still photograph on Channel 13’s web site it appears the pickup truck may have attempted to make a left turn in front of the school bus, though the exact cause of the crash has not been reported in the media. Hopefully all involved will recovery quickly. Channel 2’s report of the school bus accident is here.

Pedestrian injured when Mazda and Saturn collide on Rusk in downtown Houston

Two cars crashed on Rusk in downtown Houston Wednesday sending three people to the hospital. The crash happened just before noon: after the cars collided a person crossing the street on Chartres was struck. Both drivers and the pedestrian were injured. Channel 2’s report, which includes video footage, is available here. The vehicles involved in the accident were a silver-colored Mazda 3 and a teal-colored Saturn. Smith & Hassler has helped thousands of clients resolve motor vehicle accident injury claims since the firm was founded in 1989 by Michael J. Smith and Albert M. “Al” Hassler, II.

Workers installing flagpole electrocuted in Riata West subdivision in Cypress

Two workers installing a flagpole yesterday at the Riata West subdivision off Barker Cypress Road in Cypress were rushed to hospital when the pole made contact with an overhead electrical wire. The men, who were contract workers installing the flagpole for developer CastleRock Communities, suffered burns to their hands and feet. Investigators say that as the men were installing the flagpole it began to lean, so the men grabbed the pole to prevent it from falling and that’s when the power line was contacted. CastleRock Communities say the two men work installing signs an flagpoles for them. Channel 2’s article on the incident did not include information on the men’s conditions. If you have been injured at work and aren’t sure of your rights, call the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler and request a no-cost evaluation of your work injury case.

Workers at the Riata West subdivision in Cypress were electrocuted when a flagpole touched an overhead power line

Motorcyclist killed in collision with pickup truck on Elysian

A morning accident has claimed the life of a motorcycle rider.  The collision happened this morning at approximately 6:45am on Elysian at Cavalcade, and involved the motorcycle and a pickup truck.  The pickup truck went out of control and struck a home, injuring a woman inside. The woman was transported to a nearby hospital. Channel 11’s report is here and does not identify either driver or state how the collision happened. Channel 2’s story is here and states that the motorcycle rider ran a red light immediately before the collision. Channel 13’s story is here and indicates that there were two women inside the house that was hit by the pickup truck: a 55-year old woman and her daughter who were getting ready for work.  The woman was pinned between the crashed pickup truck and a dining room table inside her home, however she was still somehow able to called her sister Arva Hamilton to summon help. Witnesses said the motorcycle rider was not wearing a helmet: he died instantly.

A motorcyclist was killed and a woman inside her home was injured in today's accident on Elysian at Cavalcade

Arva Hamilton received a call from her sister who was trapped inside her damaged home by the crashed pickup

Alcohol involvement suspected in fatal crash on State Highway 249

A crash on State Highway 249 at Willow Chase killed the driver of the vehicle and seriously injured two passengers, and law enforcement suspect drunk driving played a role in the crash.  The one car accident happened at around 5:00am on the southbound SH 249 feeder road.  According to police, the driver appears to have bumped up onto the curb on the left side, after which the driver overcompensated and lost control.  The car then slid across the travel lanes, left the roadway and struck a wooden telephone pole.  The driver of the car died at the scene and the two passengers were transported to the hospital in serious but stable condition. A Houston Police Department investigator reported finding open alcohol containers throughout the vehicle and officers could also smell the odor of alcoholChannel 11’s report on the crash did not indentify the driver that died.

Crash on Hoffman near downtown Houston kills three

Speeding may be responsible for a single car accident on Hoffman at Colfax that killed three people and injured a fourth person. The driver lost control of the car, jumped a ditch and smashed into a tree. Two occupants of the vehicle were ejected and two remained trapped in the severely damaged vehicle. Neighbor Richy Garcia who went to the accident scene after hearing the crash said the vehicle was so badly damaged you couldn’t tell if it was a car or a truck. Investigators are trying to determine whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. Channel 13’s report on the accident is here. Channel 2’s report is here. The Houston Chronicle’s report is here.

Officers inspect the severely damaged vehicle after the crash on Hoffman at Colfax