According to the Houston Chronicle,Tomball Police Departmentpatrol officerKristina Tikalsuffered a fractured shoulder bladewhen she wasknocked down by a vehicleduring a January 2, 2012 incident. Officer Tikal apparently walked up on a 17-year old female about to have with a male companion in a parked vehicle: the teenagersped away from the scene, striking Officer Tikal. The officer also sustained a hip injury, an elbow injury and abrasions to her arms and legs: she was treated and released fromTomball Regional Hospital.
In a situation where ahit-and-run driveris at ult for a collision and there is physical contact between the vehicles, the person(s)injured by the hit-and-run drivercan make aclaim for uninsured motorist (UM)benefits with their own insurance carrier (provided they have that coverage).
Joe Gamez was struck and killed January 18, 2012 by a reversing dump truck
Anobituary for car crash victim Kaat Debeuckelaerpublished in the Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that Kaat&8217;s funeral will be held today at theGood Shepherd Catholic Church in Coleyville, Texas. Kaat&8217;s mily and friends will gather to pay their respect and say their goodbyes to the 21-year old University of Texas student who died tragically on January 5, 2012 in a single car accident along with Kaat&8217;s boyfriendKenneth &8220;Kenny&8221; Joseph Lark(23) andSouthlake attorney Ronald Eddins(40).
Media reports state that atoxicology reportis pending to determine whetheralcohol was a ctor in the crash. Presumably there will be an attempt by authorities to retrieve and analyze theevent data recorderor &8220;black box&8221; from thePorsche Panamerato extract crash data, though whether the device will be operable after being submerged in water is an open question.
If you wereinjured in a crashinvolving a 2004 or 2005 Ford Windstar or Mercury Monterey minivan,contact Smith & Hassler to discuss a possible products liability case.
A frightening accident unfolded today in Temple, Texaswhen an18-wheeler apparently ran a stop sign, colliding with a school bus filled with children and causing the bus to flip onto its side. The accident happened around 7:30am on FM93 on the outskirts ofTemple, Texaswhich is 60 miles northeast of Austin. A total of 32 people, 29 of them children, were sent toScott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple. Trooper Harpin Myers of the Texas DPS said the apparentcause of the accidentwas when thehardware truck (18-wheeler) ran a stop signandhit the Academy school district bus. It was not readily apparent if foggy conditions were a ctor in the wreck. The school bus driver was alsolisted in critical condition. A 9-year old boy was ejected through the escape hatch in the roof of the bus and the bus driver wasknocked unconscious.
Ford Motor Company has announced arecall of 2004-2005 model Ford Windstar and Mercury Montereyminivans.The recall actionaffects approximately 205,986 vehicles in the United States according to a statement from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall is happening because of the potential for the torque converter output shafts in the minivan powertrains to il and cause a sudden loss of power. Therecall is expected to begin the second quarter of 2012, and Ford will replace the torque converter in the recalled minivans. The NHTSA is only aware of two collisions probably attributable to the power loss problem in the Windstar and Monterey, one of those crashes involved injuries and the other did not. Still, theNHTSA announced the recallbecause the chances of a crash are increased due to a sudden power loss.
The driver of this car died and the pickup driver was seriously injured in a head-on collision on Dixie Road in Houston.
An 18-wheeler versus school bus crash in Temple, Texas on 01-19-2012 sent 32 to the hospital
It is clear that Kaat is going to be terribly missed by her mily and friends.Kaat&8217;s obituaryincludes the following tribute:
According to Harris County criminal records, this represents 36-year old Thomas&8217; thirdDWI arrest.
Channel 11 is reporting a head-on collisionthat left a pickup truckdriver seriously injuredand killed the driver of a car. Police say that the car was driving eastbound on Dixie near Tucker in Houston around 1:40amkaat debeuckelaer on Sunday January 29, 2012 when the car crossed the center line and went into oncoming traffic, striking the pickup truck head-on. The driver of the pickup was taken to Ben Taub general hospitalin serious conditionand the car driver was killed on impact. The names of the drivers were not available in the article and police are investigating to determine what caused theaccident.
Apparently the scene unfolded when Officer Tikal was leaving her apartment to head to work and noticed a Honda Civic parked with the rear door open, and when she walked up on the vehicle the male and female were in the back of the vehicle with no pants on. As the officer radioed for backup the female climbed into the driver&8217;s seat and put the Honda in reverse: she disregarded the officer&8217;s instructions to stop and reversed at high speed,knocking the officer about 10 feet. The Honda also struck a parked pickup truckbefore speeding away. An anonymous tip lead police to the Honda&8217;s location, and the female suspect who was atTomball High Schoolwent with her mother to the police station.
Kaat&8217;s mily has requested that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to a charity of the well-wisher&8217;s choice.
Amulti-vehicle accident on the Eastex Freeway near Hopperleft a driver trapped yesterday evening. The wrecked happened around 11:30pm when a pickup truck heading northbound on Eastex swerved into the lane next to it, sideswiping theDodge Charger. The Charger driver lost control and was then rear-ended by a Mercedes. A red colored SUV attempting to avoid the wreck hit the retaining wall, and theDodge Chargerthen crashed into the same retaining wall. HFD heavy rescue crews cut the roof off theDodge Chargerto get the driver out; unfortunately the driver of the pickup that caused the accidentfled the scene.
Hopefully thehit-and-run driver of the red Toyotacan be identified by law enforcement or will do the right thing and turn themselves in. There is no legitimate reason for adriver who hits a pedestrianto leave the scene of an accident; in ct ilure to stop and render aid is a criminal offense under the Texas Transportation Code. Many times drivers leave the accident scene because they have outstanding warrants, are intoxicated or do not have a valid driver&8217;s license or insurance. Certainly we wishKeylon Nappera speedy recovery from his injuries.
Parents of the children riding in the school bus would be well advised to be extremely wary of settling their children&8217;s claims,meeting with any insurance representativesorrepresentatives of the 18-wheelercompany, or signing any document that may affects their rights or their children&8217;s ability to recover their damages. The most prudent approach would be to allow sufficient time to make sure their children are physically (and mentally) recovered or well on the road to recoverybefore resolving any legal claims. A precautionary visit to the pediatrician would be entirely appropriate given the severity of the collision. It would also be a good idea to consult with anexperienced injury attorneywho can fully explain their legal rights as parents and also the rights of their children. Although it doesn&8217;t happen too often, unfortunately sometimesunscrupulous insurance representativeswill rush injured persons or their mily members into signing release documents very soon after an accident, usually before all injuries are fully understood.
At around 7:30pm on Thursday January 19, 2012Keylon Napper was walking on Rio Bonitonear Howell Sugarland Roadwhen he was struckby a late model red-colored Toyota car. 26-year old Keylon was walking on Rio Bonito on his way to work at HEB when the Toyotaleft the roadway and struck him. The driver of the Toyota then stopped and got out to check on him, but thengot back in the vehicle and left the scene. Napper and his mily live in apartments near the scene: mily members heard a crash and someone screaming. Napper&8217;s brother-in-law Brian Henderson ran from his apartment to the scene and found Napper covered in blood: Napper was life-flighted to Memorial Hermann Hospital where he was listed as being in stable condition.
Kaat died January 5, 2012while riding as a passenger in aPorsche Panamerasports car driven byRonald Eddins. Preliminary findings by law enforcement investigating the accident suggest thePorschewastraveling at a high rate of speedwhen it left the roadway and crashed into the Las Colinas Canal near Dallas, Texas. Kaat andKennyaHouston Personal Injury Attorneys - Smith & Hassler kaat debeuckelaerpparently had no prior connection to Eddins, and it appears a chance meeting at a hotel bar was the couple&8217;s first encounter with the prominent Southlake lawyer.
Services for Kenny Joseph Larkwill be held Saturday January 14, 2012 at Epiphany Lutheran Fellowship Hall in Houston, Texas. Kenny&8217;s mily has asked that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to a charity of the donor&8217;s choice, or alternatively to theKenneth J. Lark Memorial Fund.
We certainly wish Officer Tikal a speedy recovery and return to patrol.
Smith & Hassler has over 20-years experienceassisting bereaved Texans withwrongful deaths claims. If you have lost a loved one due to an accident,contact Smith & Hassler.
The 17-year old female driver now ces felony charges of aggravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest and detention with a vehicle. Hopefully there is plenty of insurance on the Honda Civic: with afractured shoulder bladeand the other injuries, Officer Tikal may not be medically cleared to return to work for some time, not to mention the physical impairment associated with that kind of injury. In a situation like this, if an injured pedestrian such as Officer Tikal has underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, that coverage would apply to help cover damages if the at-ult driver does not have sufficient coverage.Uninsured motorist (UM) coveragewould apply if the at-ult driver did not have any insurance.
Houston Personal Injury Attorneys - Smith & Hassler kaat debeuckelaer,
If you, a friend or a mily member have beeninjured in a car accident,Smith & Hasslers experienced personal injury attorneysare available to give you a free consultation either in-person or by phone. Sometimes peopleinjured in car accidentwait before consulting an attorney. They have good intentions: not wanting to seem sue happy, waiting to see if theirinjurieswill get better or because aninsurance adjusteris discouraging them from seeking legal advice (that happens). It is better to know your rights early in the process and have an experienced Houston personal injury attorneyexplain the steps involved incar accident injury claimand what you can do NOW to increase the chances of a good outcome.
Our prayers are with the young couple&8217;s milies.
Fire fighters cut the roof off the Dodge Charger to rescue the trapped driver
Jerad Thomas has been charged in a January 24, 2012 tal hit-and-run
Tomball Police Department Patrol Officer Kristina Tikal (2nd from right), injured in a January 2, 2012 auto versus pedestrian incident.
57-year oldJoe Gamezdied yesterday when he wasrun over by a dump truck in north Houston. Mr. Gamez, who was an independent dump truck operator, and another man were working near the intersection ofDuoto and West Tidwellon private land at around 12:30pm on January 18, 2012. A truck tire got stuck in the mud so Mr. Gamez walked behind it and told the other driver to reverse, then as thedump truckwas backing up Gamez was hit. According to officials the dump truck belonged toAntonio Segovia Trucking.Channel 2&8217;s report on the accident is available here.
Harris County Sheriff Deputies had to wrestle and then Tasehit-and-run driver Jerad Thomasto take him into custody after atal hit-and-run collisionin northwest Harris County. The deadly wrecked happened on southbound Jones Road near Fallbrook when a53-year old man riding his bicyclewas hit by a man driving a cargo van. Thevictim on the bicyclewas transported to the hospital but died shortly after that. Police were able to identify the cargo van because the license plate was dislodged at the scene of the accident. The van owner indicated he had loaned the vehicle to a friend; when officers accompanied the owner to the friend&8217;s apartment they found Jerad Thomas asleep in the stairway of his apartment with the van keys underneath his body. Thomas initially resisted the officers when they woke him but was brought into compliance when deputies Tased him. Thomas admitted to driving the van but had no recollection of hitting anything. He will becharged with driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and possibly other charges.
The teenager driver of this SUV was killed and his passenger critically injured in a train collision
Smith & Hassler&8217;s attorneysaggressively pursue drunk driversand their insurance companies in order to compensate those injured orbereaved by the gross negligence of intoxicated motorists.
A teenage driver died and his 20-year old male passenger wascritically injured when a train hit their SUVon Friday January 13, 2012. The crash happened around 4:00pm inLiberty County near Highway 90 and FM 1909. It appears the driver may have attempted todrive around the crossing control armimmediately before the crash according to Captain Rex Evans with theLiberty County Sheriff&8217;s Office. The passenger was taken by life flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital.ABC News&8217; reportlists the driver&8217;s age as 16 and states thattrain was operated by Kansas City Southern.
Her smile and bright blue eyes lit up every room she walked into. She loved her mily and friends fiercely and would do anything to protect them. She had been a fighter ever since she was born prematurely, never giving up and working hard to achieve her dreams. Kaat had a positive impact on so many people during her brief time with us. She was the best listener and never judged. It didn&8217;t matter whether she knew someone well or whether she had just met the person, she always made you feel at home. Her devotion spread to more than just her friends and mily, as burnt orange ran through her blood. Kaat had so many more things to do. She had yet to see her Longhorns win a BCS Bowl game. She never got to walk into her first class at dental school. We will never see how the plans that she and Kenny made for their future blossom. They were so much in love and everyone who knew them was sure they would spend the rest of their lives together.
