If you drive on Texas roadways, you certainly encounter aggressive drivers daily. Whether on a road trip, a morning commute to work, or a drive home in the evening, aggressive driving is a common (and unsafe) practice no matter where you live.

It may come to no surprise to Texas motorists that the Lone Star State was ranked fourth in the country in aggressive drivers.

The study conducted by GasBuddy, a smartphone app that helps travelers find ideal stops for gas, bathrooms, and coffee, gathered data from the app’s Trips feature. This feature assesses driving habits during an app user’s trip, allowing them to improve fuel efficiency by identifying poor driving habits.

According to GasBuddy, an aggressive driving habit included speeding up, hard braking, and accelerating. States were ranked based on the number of minutes between an aggressive driving event recorded by the Trips feature.

California (6.6 minutes), Connecticut (8.2 minutes), and Georgia (8.2 minutes) were the only states with more aggressive drivers than Texas, according to GasBuddy.

The study revealed that drivers in states with more densely populated cities and higher levels of traffic congestion logged more aggressive driving behaviors. For example, the time between aggressive driving events in number one ranked California (6.6 minutes) is vastly less than that of 50^th-ranked Alaska (29 minutes).

Driving Less Aggressively Can Save Gas… and Lives!

Speeding, rapid acceleration, and hard braking can take a significant toll on your gas and fuel economy, costing nearly $500 per month. These aggressive driving habits, according to GasBuddy, can lower gas mileage by as much as 40 percent. The price to fill up will only continue to increase as summer approaches.

In addition to preserving the contents of your bank account, cutting back on aggressive driving habits can make you and other drivers safer.

Other aggressive driving habits include unsafe passing or lane changing, tailgating, and failing to follow posted traffic signs. Coupled with other dangerous driving behaviors, such as driving distracted or drunk, aggressive driving can lead to serious auto accidents and catastrophic injuries.

Hit by an Aggressive Driver? Contact an Attorney Today

If you have been hurt in an auto accident due to a driver’s reckless or aggressive driving, call Thomas J. Henry now. Our firm represents clients injured in all types of automobile wrecks, including car crashes, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents. You may be entitled to compensation to cover medical bills and lost wages.

Contact us today for a free case review – our attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends to evaluate your claim. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, Texas.

An Irving toddler is dead following a traffic collision along Interstate 35W in Fort Worth.

About the Fatal Fort Worth Crash

The Star-Telegram reports that the fatal crash occurred around 4 pm Monday in the 15,700 block of Interstate 35W.

The child, identified as King Oko-Oboh, 1, was rushed to Cook Children’s Medical Center, but was pronounced dead at 9:58 pm.

The fatal crash and the toddler’s death remain under investigation.

Texas Crash Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

• 3,773 traffic deaths were recorded in Texas in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths reported in 2015.
• An additional 256,076 people were injured in traffic crashes in 2016, with 14,202 people suffering incapacitating injuries.
• There were no deathless days on Texas roadways in 2016.
• Based on reportable crash data for 2016, TxDOT estimates that:
  • One person was killed in a traffic accident every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
  • A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.

Contact an Experienced Texas Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

A young mother was killed Sunday when her vehicle was struck head-on by an intoxicated driver on Interstate 20.

Details of the Fatal Duncanville Collision

According to FOX News, Amberly McCray, 23, of Grand Prairie, was pronounced dead at the scene after a wrong-way driver caused a chain-reaction crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 20 in Duncanville, Texas.

Police say Guillermo Suarez, 31, was driving an SUV in the wrong direction when he sideswiped a vehicle and struck another vehicle head-on, forcing the second vehicle into an 18-wheeler. Suarez was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and driving while intoxicated.

Family members of McCray told reporters that she had a 9-month-old son.

Texas Car Crash Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

• 3,773 people were killed in Texas traffic accidents in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths reported in 2015.
• 638 of the deaths reported in 2016 were attributed to head-on collision.
• Alcohol was determined to be a factor in 987 traffic deaths, accounting for roughly 26% of all Texas traffic fatalities.
• An additional 264,076 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas in 2016.
• Based on reportable data for 2016, TxDOT estimates:
  • One person was killed in a traffic accident every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
  • A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.

Contact an Experienced Texas Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

Hidalgo County authorities are investigating a fatal accident that left two people dead Saturday night.

Details of the Fatal Collision

According to CBS 4 News, the fatal crash occurred on FM 88, near Mile 21 Road, shortly after 10:15 pm.

A preliminary investigation suggests a silver Land Rover SUV was traveling northbound on FM 88 when the driver drifted off the right side of the road and hit a mailbox. The driver then overcorrected, traveled into the southbound lane, and struck a silver Ford Expedition.

Eduardo Mendoza, 25, of Edinburg, and Myra Belcher, 56, of Weslaco, were both pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash is still under investigation.

Texas Head-On Collision Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

• 3,773 people were killed in traffic accidents in Texas in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths recorded in 2015.
• 638 of the deaths recorded in 2016 were attributed to head-on collision.
• An additional 265,076 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas in 2016.
• Based on reportable crash data for 2016:
  • One person was killed every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
  • A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.

Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

Year-to-year, teenagers have consistently had a higher rate of crash than any other age group in the United States. This is not surprising considering their inexperience behind the wheel. However, as driver inexperience compounded with new exacerbating factors like driver distraction, the risks to teen drivers has become even greater.

In fact, distracted driving may now be the leading factor in car accidents involving teens, with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety attributing 60 percent of all teen car crashes to distracted driving.

Texting and Social Media Mean Teens Are More Likely to Be Looking Down While Driving

The AAA Foundation’s findings were based on an eight year study tracking teen driving behaviors.

During their research, the AAA Foundation noted that talking and attending to other passengers in the vehicle accounted for 15 percent of crashes involving teens while cell phone use accounted for 12 percent of crashes. Another 11 percent of crashes were attributed to attending to or looking at something inside the vehicle.

Researcher’s also observed changes in the ways teens use their phones as technology has changed. During the early years of the study, teens were often found to be talking on their cell phone in the moments leading up to a crash; however, by the studies end, researchers noted that teens were more likely to be looking down at the phone in order to text or use social media.

“Many teens are texting or using social media behind the wheel more often than in the past, which is making an unsafe situation even worse,” said Georjeane Blumling of AAA Tidewater Virginia.

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute previously found that texting increases a driver’s risk of crash by 23 times.

Changes in Distracted Driving Coincide with Smartphone Use

According to TeenSafe, increased instances of distracted driving seem to coincide with the rise of smartphone ownership. From web browsing, to social media, to nearly unlimited apps, smartphones offer more potential distractions than a basic cellular phone.

Just since 2014, the percentage of smartphone users among teens between the ages of 12 and 17 has increased from 71 percent to 92 percent. Among individuals 18 through 24, smartphone ownership has jumped from 85 percent to 99 percent.

A 2016 study found that 76 percent of respondents between the ages 13 and 24 said they were addicted to their digital devices (compared to 59 percent among all individuals). With that, there is little wonder why drivers are so quick to put themselves at risk by reaching for their cellular device.

Contact an Experienced Distracted Driving Injury Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto accident due to the actions of a distracted driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced auto accident lawyers are available 24/7, nights and weekends to evaluate your claim. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. We can meet you wherever you reside, whether it be at home, at your workplace, or in the hospital. Contact us today for a free case review.

A former Texas State University student has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for a fatal drunk driving accident that claimed the lives of a young soon-to-be-father and his unborn child.

Details of the Accident and the Driver’s Sentence

21-year-old Shana Lee Elliott previously pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxicated manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault following a head-on collision along State Highway 21. The collision killed 23-year-old Fabian Guerrero Moreno and injured his pregnant wife, Kristian Nicole Guerrero.

Kirstian was rushed to St. David’s South Austin Medical Center where doctors induced labor in order to save her child’s life. An ultrasound initially revealed that her baby’s heart was still beating; however, a second ultrasound found that the baby no longer had a heartbeat and had died in the womb.

Prosecutors determined that Elliott had been drinking at the San Marcos River prior to the collision. Video evidence presented to jurors also showed Elliott struggling with a sobriety test following the crash.

Elliott was sentenced to seven years in prison for each count of intoxication manslaughter as well as 10 years probation for the intoxication assault charge. Her prison sentences will be served consecutively and her probation will be served concurrently with her prison sentences.

Texas Texas Accident Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

• 3,773 people were killed in Texas traffic accidents in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths reported in 2015.
• 638 of the deaths reported in 2016 were attributed to head-on collision.
• Alcohol was determined to be a factor in 987 traffic deaths, accounting for roughly 26% of all Texas traffic fatalities.
• An additional 264,076 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas in 2016.
• Based on reportable data for 2016, TxDOT estimates:
  • One person was killed in a traffic accident every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
  • A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.

Contact an Experienced Texas Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

Multiple family members were injured last Saturday when a vehicle crashed into a home in Hurst, Texas and triggered a gas explosion.

About the Crash and the Resulting Home Explosion

According to WDSU, emergency responders transported a couple and their son to the hospital Saturday after a vehicle crashed into their home and struck a gas line. The result was a fiery explosion that engulfed the home.

The wife was listed in critical condition while the conditions of her husband and son were not immediately available.

The events leading up to the crash are being unavailable, but police say the driver, Arnulfo Castro, 40, claimed his brakes failed prior to the crash. The driver was taken into custody for not having a valid driver’s license.

Two police officers were also injured while responding to the scene.

Texas Texas Accident Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

• 3,773 people were killed in Texas traffic accidents in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths reported in 2015.
• 638 of the deaths reported in 2016 were attributed to head-on collision.
• Alcohol was determined to be a factor in 987 traffic deaths, accounting for roughly 26% of all Texas traffic fatalities.
• An additional 264,076 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas in 2016.
• Based on reportable data for 2016, TxDOT estimates:
  • One person was killed in a traffic accident every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
  • A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.

Contact an Experienced Texas Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

Despite recent advances in traffic and vehicle safety, traffic deaths are estimated remained at a 10-year-high set in 2016. Experts believe this jump in traffic-related deaths demonstrates the effects the distracted driving epidemic is having on the country.

U.S. Records Sharpest Increase in Traffic Deaths in 50 Years

According to Fortune, U.S. fatalities increased a staggering 7.2-percent to 35,092 in 2015, the largest single-year increase on record since 1966. By 2016, that number of deaths had increased to 37,461.

Over previous decades, traffic deaths had actually been on the decline thanks to increased use of seatbelts, decreases in the number of drunk drivers on the road, and technological improvements such as airbags and electronic stability control.

However, just as technological advances have helped make vehicles safer, they may also be contributing to dangerous driver behaviors. In fact, 10% of the 35,092 traffic deaths recorded by the National Highway Traffic Administration in 2015 were attributed to distracted driving.

Distracted driving is not limited to cell phones, either. Handling tablets, adjusting GPS, and fiddling with touch screen entertainment and radio consoles are all dangerous new behaviors which drivers were not able to participate in over past decades. Combine these with other distractions, like eating behind the wheel, adjusting mirrors and climate controls, and interacting with passengers, and it is little wonder why distracted driving has become so prevalent.

How Common Is Distracted Driving?

We all know that distracted driving is a regular occurrence. We see it every day. However, just how many distracted drivers are on the road at any given moment is troublesome.

According to data from Everquote, for every 11 miles driven, the average driver is on the phone for about half a mile. Additionally, while 96% of drivers surveyed said he or she was a safe driver, data from an app called Everdrive determined that 96% of all drivers also used their phones while driving at least once over the past 30 days.

Perhaps one of the major factors behind distracted driving is the feeling that a near immediate response to phone calls and text messages is necessary.

In another poll referenced by Fortune, about 55% of respondents said they feel they need to respond to a text message in 5 minutes or less. Just under one-quarter of respondents felt an immediate response was necessary.

Contact an Experienced Distracted Driving Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced auto accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

Two people are dead after a woman intentionally drove her minivan into to oncoming traffic, causing a fiery crash.

About the Head-On Collision

According to the Dallas Morning News, Shamyia Walton, 37, drove the wrong direction on westbound Canada Drive around 7:20 pm Tuesday before crashing into a pickup which then caught fire.

The occupants of the burning truck, identified as Thois Hutchinson, 62, and his wife, were pulled from the vehicle by bystanders before first responders arrived. Firefighters then extricated Walton and her male passenger from the minivan.

Both Walton and Hutchinson were rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital where they were pronounced dead. Their passengers were hospitalized and are listed in stable condition.

The accident remains under investigation.

Texas Head-On Collision Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

• 3,773 people were killed in traffic accidents in Texas in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths recorded in 2015.
• 638 of the deaths recorded in 2016 were attributed to head-on collision.
• An additional 265,076 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas in 2016.
• Based on reportable crash data for 2016:
  • One person was killed every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
  • A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.

Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

In 2013, Erie Insurance conducted a review of police report data in the Fatality Analysis reporting System (FARS), a nationwide census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with the goal of understanding the effects of distracted driving.

In their analysis of more than 65,000 fatal crashes that occurred over the two-year period being observed, the researchers determined that roughly one in ten were the result of distracted driving. They then determined the types of distractions that were the most deadly – their findings may come as a surprise.

Top 10 Causes of Distracted Driving Accidents

1. General Distraction – Surprisingly, roughly 62% of the distracted driving accidents studied by Erie Insurance were the result of “general distraction.” That means no device or object was present at the time of the crash, the driver was simply inattentive, lost in thought, or daydreaming.
2. Cell Phone Use – About 12% of distracted driving deaths were associated with cell phone use. For their study, cell phone use was defined to include talking, texting, listening to a voicemail, checking email, dialing, checking social media, or any other action that involved a mobile phone.
3. Rubbernecking – 7% of fatal distracted driving accident involved the driver being distracted by an outside person, object, or event. This is an important reminder that distractions do not need to be inside the vehicle.
4. Other Occupants – In about 5% of fatal distracting driving accidents, the driver was distracted by another occupant in the vehicle. This includes simply talking or looking at others in a car. This is one reason many states limit the number of under-21 occupants a minor can have in their vehicle.
5. Using or Reaching for an Object – Using or trying to reach an object, such as a CD or charging cable, was associated with 2% of fatal distracted driving accidents.
6. Eating or Drinking – Eating and drinking is often overlooked as a distracted activity, and are especially common on longer road trips. Still, these actions require you take your eyes of the road and at least one hand of the wheel. Eating and drinking were responsible for 2% of all fatal distracted driving accidents.
7. Adjusting Audio or Climate Controls – There is a reason your driver ed instructor advised that you set your audio and climate controls before getting on the road. These actions are considered a driver distraction and can increase your risk of accident. Such behavior was associated with 2% of fatal distracted driving accidents.
8. Adjusting Mirrors, Windows, Locks – Similar to above, these actions should be done before beginning a trip or while at a safe stop.
9. Moving Object in Vehicle – This category includes lose items like empty water bottles and cargo as well as pets and even lose insects. These were associated with 1 out of every 10 distracted driving deaths.
10. Smoking – Smoking while driving is a distraction and was associated with about 1% of all fatal distracted driving accidents.

Contact an Experienced Distracted Driving Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto accident due to the actions of a distracted driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced auto accident lawyers are available 24/7, nights and weekends to evaluate your claim. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. We can meet you wherever you reside, whether it be at home, at your workplace, or in the hospital. Contact us today for a free case review.