Nearly every Texas driver has been stuck behind a slower moving vehicle on a two-lane road. Making the determination as to whether it is safe to pass is based on many factors -- some of them legal and some subjective based on experience. When a driver makes the wrong choice and begins to pass when it is not safe, a car accident could occur that could cause serious or fatal injuries to those involved.
As a vehicle traveled west on Highway 59, the driver made the decision to pass the vehicle in front of it. Sadly, when the vehicle moved into the oncoming lane of traffic, there was not sufficient clearance to pass the vehicle safely. A tractor-trailer in the eastbound lane could not move out of the way, and the two vehicles collided.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the impact killed four people who were in the vehicle. The deceased included two adults, ages 36 and 29, and two children, ages four and one. It is not known whether the driver of the 18-wheeler suffered any injuries in the crash. Reports also failed to indicate which of the two adults was driving the vehicle.
Once that is determined, the surviving family members of the deceased victims might exercise their rights to file wrongful death claims against the estate of the driver along with any other party who might bear some liability in the car accident. Successfully establishing what negligence led to the death of their loved ones could result in an award of damages. Any restitution received could help the families deal with the financial losses that accompany deadly crashes.