Teen Killed in San Benito Trucking Accident

A teenager is dead after following a collision with a tractor-trailer last Friday in San Benito, Texas.

Details of the Fatal Trucking Accident

According to The Monitor, the teen, 17-year-old Lyford high school senior Vanessa Mendoza, collided with a semi-truck carrying diesel around 5:25am on Friday morning.

Mendoza was pronounced dead at the scene, while her passenger, 18-year-old Amanda Soto was taken to Baptist Valley Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured and is cooperating with authorities.

It is unclear whether or not Mendoza ran the stop sign leading up to the crash. The investigation into the accident continues.

Lyford and Raymondville schools canceled their “Cotton Bowl Classic” football game on Friday night following the accident, as well as other afterschool activities at Lyford. Counselors at staff from other districts have been provided to grieving students and staff at area high schools.

Statistics for Accidents Involving Large Trucks

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 330,000 large trucks were involved in accidents in 2012. In the accidents of that year, 3,921 people were killed, an increase of 4% from 2011.
• Injuries resulting from large truck accidents increased by 18% from 2011 to 2012, jumping from 88,000 to 104,000.
• According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), in Texas specifically there was not a single day in 2013 without a death on the roads.
• Most recent data from TxDOT showed a 3.7-percent increase in Texas traffic deaths with the number of recorded fatalities increasing from 3,408 deaths to 3,534 deaths.