Family mourns little girl after fatal accident

Family mourns little girl after fatal accident

On Behalf of | May 29, 2019 | Wrongful Death |

Although freeways can help the flow of heavy traffic go smoother and faster, they can also be dangerous because of the number of vehicles traveling through as well as the unpredictability of drivers. While heartbreaking, it is not uncommon to hear of at least one fatal accident each day on the freeways of Texas. A 4-year-old girl was killed in a fatal accident involving an 18-wheeler and a sedan.

Initially, police believed the 18-wheeler had merged lanes and hit the sedan in the process. A county prosecutor has since said the vehicle traveling in front of the big rig had made a sudden stop, causing the truck to swerve to avoid a collision, and hit the sedan instead. The sedan sailed over the guardrail on the side of the freeway and landed on the ground underneath, beside a river.

Rescue personnel said the little girl and her parents were the occupants of the sedan, and the position in which the car had landed trapped the father in his driver’s seat. He had to be extricated from the vehicle and airlifted to a medical facility for treatment. The mother was not hurt but was in panic mode, insisting her daughter was also trapped in the car when she could not be found. Deputies spotted the girl under the car, finding her no longer alive once the car was moved.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department says the parents were wearing seatbelts but the little girl was not restrained at all. The truck driver remained at the scene and has answered all questions by deputies. There have been no charges issued as of yet.

Should it be determined that the truck driver was negligent in causing the fatal accident, the parents may possibly be able to file a wrongful death or personal injury lawsuit against him. If any money is awarded, it can go toward funeral and burial expenses, as well as medical bills from the father’s hospital stay. A Texas attorney will be able to give clients detailed instructions on filing a lawsuit for financial compensation.