Paul Smith of Haltom City passes away in crash with 18 Wheeler
According to wfaa.com, workers spent hours cleaning up after a massive, nine-vehicle pile-up on Interstate 30 in Arlington Sunday morning. An 18-wheeler carrying tons of hot dogs slid on the icy highway at 6:30 a.m. and toppled onto a pickup truck, killing Paul Smith. Police said at least five others were injured in the chain-reaction wreck, which also involved another 18-wheeler. "The semi with the red tractor came up on the accident scene and was unable to avoid all the cars across the roadway," said Arlington police Sgt. Kevin Brown. All lanes of an overpass just east of the accident location at Fielder Road were covered in ice; investigators believe that's what triggered the accidents.
Thoughts from attorney Bryan Fears:
Although ice on the roadways creates difficult driving conditions, the rules of the road are simple--drivers are always responsible for maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles. In this case, it appears the driver of the 18 wheeler was negligent for failing to control the speed of his rig, which was the sole cause of the crash. In past cases handled by our firm, 18 wheeler companies tirelessly try to blame the road conditions for the crash. However, the most important plan of action is to ensure a proper investigation is performed. This will allow planning for any unforeseen contingencies that may arise in dealing with potential issues raised by the defense. An important factor is retaining a lawyer or law firm that has experience handling 18 wheeler crashes. My condolences go out to the family of Mr. Smith.
