Alice, TX — One person was killed and another was taken to the hospital in critical condition following a multi-vehicle accident in Alice, Texas, on Tuesday, November 18, 2014.
According to news reports, the accident took place at the intersection of West Front Street and the San Diego Highway, in front of the El Charro restaurant. Gloria Mendez was driving a white pickup and failed to control her speed as she came to the intersection. She crashed into the back of a Chevrolet Tahoe, which was then pushed into another truck carrying a trailer.
Witnesses said that Mendez ran a red light further up the road before the accident occurred.
Mendez was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Tahoe was critically injured and taken to a local hospital. The driver of the pulling the trailer was identified as Severo Arroyo. He was not injured.
Police are currently investigating. The cause of the accident is unclear at this point.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
Liability in an accident like this is going to be pretty clear. For accidents like this one, which set off a chain reaction, liability is still going to be put on the individual who caused the accident. So if you’re rear-ended by someone, and that pushes you into another vehicle, you’re not liable for it. It’s still considered to be the fault of the person who hit you.
What could have caused this accident to happen is completely separate matter. Sometimes drivers are just going to fast. And from what’s been reported, that seems to have been the case here. However, I’ve seen other accidents that seemed to have been caused by the same thing, and then the police start digging, and it turns out there was something wrong with the car, or something else that wasn’t the direct fault of the driver. The point being, it’s best not to rush to judgement until all the facts are in.
— Grossman Law Offices
