LEE COUNTY, TX — Department of Public Safety Officials have identified David Jimanez as the man that was flown to the hospital following a semi-truck accident that happened in Lee County, Texas on Monday, April 20th, 2015. Officials have not released the exact time of the crash.
54-year-old David Jimanez died when the Sterling tractor-trailer he was driving crashed while driving on Highway 21. Investigators believe that the truck left the road before it hit a guardrail and tipped into a ditch before it rolled into West Yegua Creek.
Jimanez was flown by helicopter to Brackenridge Hospital where he was being treated for serious injuries after the accident.
The investigation is ongoing at this time.
Scene of the Accident
View of the Road
Commentary:
I’ve seen one news report suggest that the truck driver may have been fatigued, which makes me wonder just how long he was behind the wheel before this accident happened. Why is this important? Well, the number of hours a truck driver can be on the road is limited by strict regulations set forth by the government. Unfortunately, not all of these regulations are very compatible with the trucking industry’s “time is money” philosophy, and many see every minute that a driver rests as a missed opportunity to deliver more freight. Many times, trucking company will put pressure on their drivers to push beyond the federal safety laws and into dangerous territory where truckers are exhausted behind the wheel of 80,000 lb trucks. Is this really the safest way to do things? If the trucking company pushed their driver too hard, shouldn’t they be made to answer for why they felt they were above the law?
–Grossman Law Offices
