A high school track coach was killed and 18 students injured in a March 2017 bus crash. The driver of an 18-wheeler involved in the accident was killed and another coach was critically hurt. The crash occurred near the East Texas town of Talco.
The Cause of the Tragedy
According to local officials, the 18-wheeler veered into the path of the oncoming bus, which was carrying a boys’ track team. The coach was driving the bus and tried to veer toward a ditch. While he was successful in avoiding a head-on crash – and potentially saving many lives in the process – he was unable to completely avoid the big rig. The 18-wheeler slammed into the side of the bus.
The track team’s assistant coach was traveling behind the bus in a car. Tragically, she hit the semi-truck head on, killing her instantly.
As of this writing, investigators were still trying to determine why the 18-wheeler veered into oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, at The Durham Firm we have a lot of experience dealing with this type of tragedy. There are many potential causes when something like this happens, but often times they occur due to driver fatigue. Truck drivers are under immense pressure to meet unreasonable deadlines set by their employer. When this happens, they feel that they have to “push on” without taking much-needed (and government mandated) rest breaks.
This is a recipe for disaster. No matter how big another vehicle may be, it will usually come out second-best when it is hit at full speed by an 18-wheeler.
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed due to an accident involving an 18-wheeler, or you have been harmed due to a commercial bus crash, The Durham Law Firm may be able to help. Please contact us online or give us a call at 214-222-4000 for more information.
