Intersections in Texas and across the country are the most likely places for serious accidents to occur. Even if the light is green, a driver would do well to enter an intersection cautiously since car accidents are often caused by people running red lights. If a person is trying to race a light changing from yellow to red, it is likely that driver is accelerating, increasing the potential for catastrophic injuries.
Recently, a 34-year-old man approached a traffic light around 9:45 p.m. Witnesses say the light was red, but the man accelerated, using his car’s train horn to alert drivers that he was entering the intersection. His car crashed into the passenger side of another car in the intersection. The 42-year-old driver of the other car died at the scene. The driver who allegedly ran the red light was treated for minor injuries before being jailed on a $100,000 bond.
While at the hospital, he told Texas police that he had just left his grandmother’s house and was trying to evade another car that was supposedly chasing him. He said the person in the car behind him had killed his brother and a friend within the last year and was now attempting to rob him. Despite what witnesses reported, the man said he had the green light when he entered the intersection.
Because the accident caused the death of another driver, the man is charged with one count of manslaughter. Like many who lose loved ones in car accidents, the family of the man who died may have already contacted an attorney to discuss a wrongful death suit against the man who ran the red light. An attorney will advise them of their options and guide them in seeking possible compensation for their loss.
Source: dallasnews.com, “Red light runner accused of manslaughter said he was fleeing man who slayed brother, friend”, Caleb Downs, Sept. 13, 2016
