Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Around 9:00 p.m. Sunday January 12th a motorcycle rear-ended a minivan on Interstate 45 at Edgebrook in southeast Houston.  A woman riding on the back of the motorcycle was killed in the crash. Channel 2’s report is here. Houston Chronicle story here. The Chronicle’s article identifies the motorcycle as a Harley Davidson, and states that the minivan changed lanes to enter the freeway when the motorcycle, reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed, struck the rear of the van. Neither the motorcycle driver nor the passenger were wearing crash helmets. The police investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.

Information on representation for motorcycle accidents in Houston; representation for rear-end collision accidents in Houston.

A motorcyclist was killed in an accident caused by a wrong way driver who police believe was driving drunk. The accident happened around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday November 30th on the Katy Freeway (I-10). The woman driving the car was taken to hospital with minor injuries and was arrested on intoxication manslaughter charges. Channel 2 News’ story states the driver’s name and victim’s name has not been released; a photograph on Channel 2’s web site shows a red motorcycle and what appears to be an older model Nissan Maxima.  Harris County public records show that the only female charged with intoxication manslaughter in Harris County within the past 48 hours appears to be an individual named Ashley Tran of Houston, Texas.  The same public records indicate Ms. Tran is currently in Harris County Jail and her bond has been set at $30,000.

Photo credit: Channel 2 Houston

Paramedics were treating a patient early Saturday morning when a truck slammed into the back of their ambulance on the North Freeway feeder road in Houston.  The truck driver and the paramedics’ patient (a dancer from Fantasy Plaza) were not injured in the crash; the two paramedics were taken to hospital in stable condition. While HPD were clearing the accident scene, traffic backed up on the opposite side of the freeway. A motorcycle rider approaching the stalled traffic was unable to stop in time and lost control of his motorbike before hitting a retaining wall. Two cars traveling behind the motorcycle then ran over the downed rider: one driver stopped and waited for police, the other kept going. The ambulance crashed happened around 2:30 a.m.

A motorcyclist was critically injured and the driver of a car transported to hospital last night around 9:00 p.m. after a collision on W. Little York and Plantation Crest. Investigators told Channel 2 News Houston that the man riding the motorcycle pulled out of the Wal-Mart parking lot and accelerated away at a high rate of speed.  A woman who had just pulled onto W. Little York didn’t see the motorcycle, and the bike crashed into the side of the woman’s car, throwing the man from his motorbike.  The woman’s arm was injured and the motorcyclist was taken via life flight to Memorial Hermann.

Photo credit: Channel 2 News Houston

Sergeant Cedrick Nickerson with Houston Police Department told a reporter for Channel 13 News that it appears a restaurant valet driving a BMW made an error in judgment when he changed lanes across the path of a motorcyclist, killing the rider. The crash happened near the as yet unidentified restaurant in River Oaks at Westheimer Road and Virginia Street around 11:30 p.m. The restaurant valet, driving a BMW, and motorcyclist were heading the same direction on Westheimer.  It appears the valet attempted a right turn onto Virginia from the inside lane (the lane nearest the center of the roadway), cutting off the motorcyclist’s right-of-way.  When the bike couldn’t stop in the time, the vehicles collided. Sadly although the motorcyclist was rushed to the emergency room, he was pronounced dead when he arrived.

A motorcyclist was seriously injured in an early morning crash today.  The rider was heading down Briar Forest near the West Sam Houston Parkway around 3:00 a.m. when he struck the rear of a garbage truck that was pulling out of a business.  Houston Police Department representative Javier Tapia told Channel 2 News that the motorcycle rider wound up underneath the garbage truck and sustained head injuries, including a fractured skull.  He was rushed to the hospital.

In some of the comments to Channel 2’s story readers seem quick to blame the motorcyclist for the accident, but they may well be rushing to judgment.  For example, the timing of when the trash truck pulled out into the main lanes is relevant to fault.  Also based on Channel 2’s photograph (see below) the area where the accident happened does not appear to be particularly well-lit. Maybe the garbage truck had it’s lights on, maybe it didn’t.

Photo credit: Channel 2 News

A motorcycle rider was injured in an accident this morning when he was hit by a wrong-way driver in the HOV lane of the Southwest Freeway (US 59) during this morning’s rush hour.  The accident happened around 8:30 a.m. at 59 and Hillcroft.  METRO officials say the wrong-way driver was elderly, and that after the motorcycle was struck by the wrong-way vehicle it then hit a third vehicle.  The motorcyclist was transported to Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston.

Photo credit: Tim Wetzel / KHOU 11 News

35-year old Jennifer Lopez Harden from Spring, Texas has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in connection with a deadly motorcycle accident Sunday morning. Lopez Harden was taken into custody after the 3:00 a.m. crash on Birnham Wood Boulevard near Riley Fuzzel Road in Spring. She is accused of driving drunk when she swerved into a center lane, crashing head on into a motorcycle driven by 42-year old John McSwain, also of Spring. Mr. McSwain was reportedly thrown 100 feet in the impact, and he died at the scene. Harden and her passenger were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

A person named Jennifer Lopez Harden with a date of birth of May 8, 1978 was arrested just a few months ago by Houston Police Department on 12/18/2012 and charged with public intoxication, according to this web site.

Photo credit: Houston Chronicle

Photo credit: Houston Chronicle