A fatal Texas crash has claimed the lives of at least 13 people to date. The tragic auto wreck between a bus and a pickup truck shut down Highway 83 on March 29. Investigators are still attempting to reconstruct the scene.
Reports indicate that at just after noon that Wednesday, a church bus was returning from a retreat when the collision occurred. The bus was traveling south, carrying 14 people, when a northbound pickup crossed the center line. The head-on collision occurred at a curve in the road where the speed limit was 65 mph.
Eleven passengers, as well as the driver of the bus, were all pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Two of the other passengers were airlifted to local hospitals, as was the driver of the pickup. One of the passengers died later.
Federal investigators are still attempting to determine what caused the pickup to veer into the southbound lane, leading to the head-on collision and resulting in the fatal auto wreck. Regardless of whether alcohol and/or excessive speed are determined to have been contributing factors, the pickup driver may still find himself facing a number of wrongful death lawsuits should fault or negligence on his part become apparent. A Texas personal injury attorney with experience in car accident cases would be able to offer insight into the legal grounds for pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit for a grieving family. Monetary damages awarded in successfully presented cases are often used toward expenses resulting from the accident, like funeral costs, as well as the non-economic aspects such as grief and suffering over the loss of a loved one.
Source: mysanantonio.com, “At least 13 dead in crash involving South Texas church group near Garner State Park“, Kelsey Bradshaw, March 30, 2017
