The members of our Armed Forces are ready and willing to put themselves in harm's way for their country. One of those soldiers fought for this country and was fortunate enough to make it home. As he and his family drove through Texas, they may have felt that the days of putting his life in danger were over. Unfortunately, there was no way they could have anticipated that a truck accident would take their lives.
The 24-year-old military police officer's 25-year-old wife was driving him and their 10-month-old son westward on Interstate 40. Heading toward them in the eastbound lanes was a tractor-trailer driven by a 62-year-old man. At about 7:15 p.m. on that Sunday, the 18-wheeler veered into the westbound lanes and slammed into the family's vehicle.
Tragically, all three members of the family suffered fatal injuries in the crash. The truck driver suffered injuries as well, but they were not considered to be life threatening. The Texas Department of Public Safety reports that a medical episode of some sort may have caused the truck driver to lose control of his tractor-trailer. However, that has not yet been confirmed, and it is unknown whether he will face any charges in connection with the accident.
Losing one family member in an accident is difficult enough, but to lose three family members at once is simply devastating. The surviving family members retain the right to file a wrongful death claim against the truck driver and his employer to seek restitution for the damages incurred because of this truck accident. If the court determines that the driver's negligence led to the deaths of their loved ones, the family may receive a monetary judgment that might make up for their financial losses.
Source: thenewstribune.com, "JBLM family of three killed in Texas highway accident", Adam Ashton, June 3, 2015