Texas Prisoners Sue State For Injuries In Crash On Slaton Highway
According to reports, three Texas Department of Corrections inmates have filed a lawsuit against the state and a corrections officer seeking anywhere between $250,000 and $1,000,000 in damages for injuries sustained in a November 2015 vehicle collision involving a prison transport van they were riding in on Slaton Highway.
About the Inmates Lawsuit
On November 13, 2015 inmates Blaze Christopher, 48, Larry House, 67, and Donald Wright, 51, were being transported to the Montford Unit in the van driven by Phillip Matthews.
They were cruising along the 4200 block of Slaton Highway when Matthews decided to turn and head south onto Peach Avenue southeast of Loop 289. Another vehicle crashed into the van, which flipped and landed upside down.
The inmates suffered serious and permanent injuries in the accident, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the 237th District Court.
There were a total of 2 correctional officers and 9 inmates in the van when it was flipped upside down. Fortunately, there were no deaths in the accident.
The inmates are accusing Matthews of negligent behavior including failing to yield right of way, failing to keep a proper lookout, and failing to take evasive actions to avoid the collision.
Details About the Inmates
Christopher is currently serving a 3-year sentence for his involvement in a 2015 burglary in Potter County. He is currently detained in the Neal Unit.
House is currently serving a 9-year sentence at the Hightower Unit in Dayton for 2 convictions in 2012 in Dallas involving indecency with a child.
Wright is currently being held at Tarrant County Jail on a bench warrant, but was convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison for a 2015 drug possession charge. He was caught with 4-200 grams of methamphetamine.
