Trucking Accident Near Sarita Leaves Two People Dead
Two people were killed in a truck accident along Highway 77 in Kenedy County Tuesday afternoon.
Details of the Fatal Sarita Crash
According to KRIS-TV, the crash occurred around 10:20 pm about 17 miles south of Sarita.
Police say a large truck was traveling south on US 77 when it veered off the road and slammed into a Chevrolet Tahoe that had pulled to the shoulder after running out of gas. The impact of the crash caused the driver of the Tahoe to be ejected.
The truck then overturned and caught fire, with the driver trapped inside.
Both the driver of the Tahoe, Fernando Benavidez Jr., 48, and the driver of the truck tractor, not yet identified, were killed in the crash.
A passenger in the Tahoe was transported to Spohn Kleberg Hospital in Kingsville.
Texas Trucking Accident Facts and Statistics
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 433,000 accidents involving large trucks reported in 2017.
- 4,761 people were killed in trucking accidents with large trucks accounting for nine percent of all vehicles involved in fatal accidents.
- Of the deaths that occurred in trucking crashes in 2017, only 18 percent were truck drivers. The remaining 82 percent were occupants of other vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
- Texas has remained the state with the most recorded truck accident deaths for years and recorded 649 truck accident fatalities in 2017. California was a distant second with 361 deaths.
Have You Been Injured in a Truck Accident? Call Thomas J. Henry Law
If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident in Corpus Christi or a surrounding community, contact Thomas J. Henry Law now for your FREE case consultation. Our Corpus Christi truck accident attorneys have represented clients in trucking accident lawsuits for nearly 30 years and have the resources and experience to help you with your claim.