Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

At least five people were killed this morning in a collision on Beltway 8 at Wilson Road: one of the drivers involved was driving the wrong directions on the freeway. HCSO deputies said a sixth person was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital and the wrong-way driver was taken to Ben Taub. Click2Houston’s report is here. KHOU’s story is here and reports that the wrong way driver’s vehicle was a flatbed pickup truck; a photograph on KHOU’s web site appears to show a logo on the passenger door of the pickup, indicating it is a commercial vehicle. ABC Channel 13’s report states the victims were four adults and one child. The victims’ vehicle, a white-colored Ford F150, caught fire after the crash.

UPDATE: the wrong-way driver has been identified as Efraim Carmona – Carmona has been charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault.

UPDATE 2: Efraim Carmona’s blood alcohol content was reportedly .23, almost 3 times the legal limit of .08, according to an article on Channel 2’s web site. Carmona reportedly did not cooperate with the police investigation and would not answer question, although there were multiple alcohol containers in his vehicle. TABC is investigating to see if Carmona was drinking at a bar before the crash. The sole survivor of the crash aside from Carmona was an adolescent girl who is in critical condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Photo credit: KHOU

Photo credit: KHOU

31-year old Ethiopian national Million Zeghergis is facing four counts of intoxication manslaughter after a two vehicle collision in Alief. HCSO deputies responded to the intersection of Synott and Beechnut at 10:00 p.m. for a collision between a limousine company van and a Honda Civic. Devendraprasad Patel, driver of the Civic, and three rear seat passengers were killed in the collision. A female passenger in the Civic survived the crash. Zeghergis’ bond has been set at $400,000. Prosecutors stated his blood alcohol content was .107 more than three hours after the accident. What appears to be Zeghergis’ Facebook page states he is self-employed and is from Asmara, Eritrea.

Update: a story posted to Channel 2’s web site states Zerghergis was issued a Houston cab driver’s license May of last year. The vehicle he was driving at the time of the fatal crash was a 2009 Dodge with the phone number and logo of the Champion Town Car Company. The driver of the Honda, Devendraprasad Patel, was killed, along with three passengers: Kokila Patel, Ansuyaben Patel and Jayanthilal Bhatt.

Photo credit: KHOU

HCSO mug shot

A driver was arrested after crashing into a Precinct 4 deputy’s patrol car around 2:00 a.m. this morning. The collision happened near Sam Houston Parkway North and Antoine Drive as officers were responding to a vehicle fire. A car went around a blockade and smashed into the rear of the patrol car, hitting a deputy and a wrecker driver. The deputy and wrecker driver were taken to hospital in stable condition, and the driver was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk.

Photo credit: Channel 2

Two men are dead after an early morning crash, and the driver of the vehicle they were riding in is facing serious charges. The wreck happened around 1:00 a.m. in the northbound lanes of the Gulf Freeway near Edgebrook. Channel 13 reports the driver lost control of the Buick before hitting a light pole and guard rail. The two male passengers died at the scene; at least one of the men was ejected from the vehicle.

Photo credit: ABC Ch 13

49-year old Kevin Wade Wilson is facing serious charges after a fatal collision with pedestrians along Galveston’s sea wall. Around 7:13 a.m. Sunday morning, Wilson’s red-colored Ford pickup truck struck two pedestrians before going over the sea wall. 62-year old Raphael Flajole, in from Lake Orion, Michigan to visit family in Galveston, was killed in the collision. The other pedestrian, 48-year old Shane Sabala, was rushed to the hospital where we was listed as serious but stable condition. According to law enforcement, Wilson was on probation for a narcotics charge; an investigation to determine whether Wilson was intoxicated is underway.

Kevin Wade Wilson

Investigators are working to determine whether alcohol was a factor in a major head-on crash early this morning that injured five people.  The vehicles collided at the intersection of Wes Montgomery and Victory in northwest Houston, according to ABC Channel 13 News. One vehicle was heading north, the other south, when the southbound vehicle attempted a left turn to head eastbound. Neighbor woken by the sound of the crash came to the scene to help and reported a female occupant of one vehicle with a large gash to her head. Other victims suffered broken bones but all are expected to survive.

35-year old Pasadena resident Blisha Marrie Puga, pictured below, has been charged with intoxication manslaughter for a fatal car accident 5:15 a.m. Sunday. The wreck happened in the northbound lanes of Houston’s Gulf Freeway near Broadway Street. KHOU’s report says witnesses saw Puga’s Saab swerve and hit a Ford Taurus ; a woman in the Taurus was pronounced dead at the scene, and Puga admitted to police that she had been drinking before the crash. A person of the same name was arrested in late 2012 by Houston Police Department and charged with driver’s license and auto insurance offenses.

Blisha Marrie Puga appearing in court

Police say a drunken 18-wheeler driver is responsible for a fatal accident just before 11:00 p.m. Sunday night. Police say the big rig was heading westbound on Beechnut Street and made a left turn onto Cook Road while the light was red. A Chevrolet Tahoe SUV that was heading through the intersection collided with the 18-wheeler; the male driver in his 40’s or 50’s was rushed to the hospital where he later died. The truck driver now faces an intoxication manslaughter charge. Channel 2’s story is here. KHOU’s story is here.

The driver of this Chevy Tahoe died due to injuries sustained in the wreck

Willie James Johnson's 18 wheeler

Police say Johnson turned left when the turn arrow was red

Willie James Johnson

24-year old Danny Sandoval has been charged with Driving While Intoxicated in connection with a fatal crash on Houston’s East 610 Loop.  The wreck happened around 3:20 a.m. on Saturday March 22nd.  A 23-year old woman driving a Honda Civic northbound struck a concrete wall, after which the Honda went back into the travel lanes.  Danny Sandoval’s Jeep Wrangler then struck the Honda, killing the woman driving and injuring a 23-year old male passenger in the Honda.  Sandoval, who was not injured in the collision, was questioned and then arrested.

Photo credit: KHOU

Friends and family are mourning the senseless loss of Omar Jaramillo, victim of a suspected drunk driver.  Mr. Jaramillo was killed when his red Corvette was struck on the driver’s side by a Chevy Trailblazer SUV driven by Craig Welch.  The wreck happened at around 12:15 a.m. Sunday morning at the intersection of FM 1960 and West Lake Houston Parkway.  Mr. Jaramillo’s mother Irene was a passenger in the Corvette; she was injured and was transported to hospital. Deputies took 23-year old Craig Welch into custody and is facing a charge of intoxication manslaughter; Welch’s bond was set at $30,000 and Harris County public records indicate he is not presently in custody.

Omar Jaramillo’s Facebook page shows a young man with many friends and a passion for cars. KHOU’s story is here.

Photo credit: KHOU

Photo credit: Facebook