A Rio Grande City boy was killed Tuesday after the vehicle he was riding in overturned on U.S. Highway 77 in Refugio County.

About the Fatal Refugio County Collision

According to the Corpus Christi Caller Times, the fatal crash occurred about two miles north of Woodsboro at around 2:45 pm.

Preliminary reports indicate a 1999 Ford F-350 pickup carrying five occupants was traveling north on Highway 77 when the vehicle’s rear right wheel assembly detached from the vehicle. The  pickup lost control, crossed into northbound lanes of the highway, then overturned in the center median.

Jonathan Gonzalez-Pena, 10, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Three other passengers were flown to Christus Spohn Hospital Shoreline where they were listed in stable condition. The driver was transported to Christus Spohn Hospital Shoreline and was also in stable condition.

The accident remains under investigation.

Texas Automobile 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 Automobile Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury after being involved in an auto accident, contact Thomas J. Henry immediately. Our experienced auto accident injury attorneys are available to respond to car crashes at any hour, day or night. Our lawyers understand that the immediate acquisition of evidence is paramount to understanding how the accident occurred. We will take immediate action on your case.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Remember, your choice does matter. Contact us today for a free legal consultation. Attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

A man in his 60s died on Tuesday afternoon after an 18-wheeler collided with a motorcycle on Texas 71.

Details of the Texas Trucking Accident

According to the Austin American-Statesman, the crash occurred in the eastbound lanes of Texas 71 around 4:13 pm, near Ross Road.

A preliminary report suggests 64-year-old Brian Jeffrey Hastings of San Antonio crashed his Harley-Davidson into a Volkwagen Golf as he pulled on to Texas 71, about 5 miles east of Austin. Hastings’s motorcycle then crossed two lanes of traffic and was struck by a semi truck.

Hastings and his motorcycle were dragged for a short distance by the semi. He was pronounced dead at 4:29 pm.

Texas Trucking Accident Statistics

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 438,000 trucking accidents in the U.S. in 2014.
• These accidents resulted in 3,903 deaths and 111,000 injuries.
• Of those killed in trucking accidents:
  • 17 percent were occupants of large trucks
  • 73 percent were occupants of other vehicles
  • 10 percent were listed as nonoccupants, including bicyclists and pedestrians
• Texas led the nation in trucking accident fatalities with 553 trucking-related deaths reported. California followed Texas with 300 recorded deaths.

Contact an Experienced Commercial Trucking Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury after being involved in an 18-wheeler accident, contact Thomas J. Henry immediately. Our experienced commercial trucking injury attorneys are available to respond to semi-truck accidents at any hour, day or night. Our lawyers understand that the immediate acquisition of evidence is paramount to understanding how the accident occurred. We will take immediate action on your case.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Remember, your choice does matter. Contact us today for a free legal consultation. Attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

Kia has announced a recall for 500,000 vehicles due to concerns that the vehicles’ airbags may not inflate in the event of a crash.

Kia Airbag Recall an Expansion on an Already Existing Recall

According to USA Today, the recall is being combined with a previous recall expansion by Hyundai, with the two automakers recalling nearly 1.1 million vehicles in all. The defect has been linked to at least four deaths.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into the defective Hyundai and Kia airbags in March. At the time, the agency had received six reports of front-end crashes in which airbags failed to properly inflate.

The recalls currently affect the following vehicles:

• 2010-2013 Kia Forte
• 2011-2013 Kia Optima
• 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid
• 2011-2012 Kia Sedona
• 2011-2013 Hyundai Sonata
• 2011-2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

The automakers are currently working towards a repair.

What Kinds Of Injuries Can Happen When an Airbag Fails?

Injuries caused by a defective airbag include:

• Cuts and lacerations
• Fractures and broken bones
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Neck and spinal cord injuries
• Hearing loss
• Blindness
• Death

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 576 people were killed in automobile crashes where a front airbag did not deploy between 2001 and 2006. Of these victims, 360 would have benefited from frontal airbag protection.

Major Airbag Recalls in the United States

Over the past decade, there have been multiple widespread recalls on vehicles containing defective and dangerous airbags.

• Takata Corp. (2013 – present) — 21 deaths have been attributed to airbags manufactured by Takata, which are present in 42 million vehicles across 19 different brands
• Hyundai and Kia (2018 to present) — Four deaths have been linked to airbag failures in 425,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles, including the popular Sonata and Forte models.
• Fiat Chrysler (2016) — Several deaths and injuries were linked to a software defect, causing airbag deployment and seatbelt failure
• GM Chevy Cruze (2014) — Thousands of vehicles were recalled due to a manufacturing flaw that could prevent airbags from deploying in an accident
• GM SUV (2014) — More than one million GM SUVs were recalled after faulty wiring could keep side airbags from deploying in the event of a collision

Contact an Experienced Defective Airbag Injury Attorney

If you or a loved one suffered an injury due to a defective or faulty airbag, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced vehicle recall lawyers are available 24/7, nights and weekends to provide you with a free case review. If an airbag or vehicle manufacturer’s negligence caused your airbag injury, you may be entitled to recover damages to cover medical costs, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Contact us today for a free legal consultation.

Three people are dead and three others are injured following a crash between a Ford Mustang and a Mercedes-Benz near Spicewood, Texas.

Details of the Fatal Spicewood Car Crash

According to the Austin American-Statesman, the fatal crash occurred Saturday afternoon on a wet stretch of Texas 71 northwest of Austin.

A preliminary investigation concluded that Maribel Enriquez, 17, was driving a Ford Mustang, when the car’s worn rear tires lost traction, causing Enriquez to lose control of her vehicle. The Mustang slid across multiple lanes of traffic before slamming into a Mercedes-Benz.

Enriquez was transported to St. David’s Medical Center where she later died. Her brother, Jose Ornelas, 31, was taken to St. David’s South Austin Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition.

Two occupants of the Mercedes, a husband and wife, were also killed in the collision. They have been identified as Preben Hammer, 71, and Alice Hammer, 68. Susan Stein, a passenger in the Mercedes-Benz was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center with critical injuries. The fourth occupant of the Mercedes-Benz was not transported to the hospital.

Texas Automobile 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 Commercial Trucking Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury after being involved in an 18-wheeler accident, contact Thomas J. Henry immediately. Our experienced commercial trucking injury attorneys are available to respond to semi-truck accidents at any hour, day or night. Our lawyers understand that the immediate acquisition of evidence is paramount to understanding how the accident occurred. We will take immediate action on your case.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Remember, your choice does matter. Contact us today for a free legal consultation. Attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

A child was injured Wednesday after an SUV crashed into a daycare in Mundelein, Illinois.

Police Investigating the Accident

According to ABC 7 Chicago, the SUV was driven by a father of a child who attends daycare. Officials say the SUV jumped the curb, crashed through a window, and traveled roughly 15 feet into Vernon Hills daycare on the 2000 block of Lake Street.

The injured child, a girl between 4 and 5 years old, was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center. The driver was treated at the scene. Three children were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, but none of them were injured.

The incident occurred around 8:15 am as parents were dropping of their children. Police are reviewing security cameras as part of their ongoing investigation.

No charges have been filed.

National Traffic Accident Statistics

According to the latest available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

• 35,485 people were killed in auto accidents in the United States in 2016, marking a 5.6-percent increase from 2015.
• Of those killed in auto accidents in 2016:
  • 22,639 were occupants of passenger vehicles
  • 5,495 were pedestrians
  • 5,029 were motorcyclists
  • 829 were pedalcyclists
  • 665 were occupants of large trucks
  • 235 were listed as other or unknown
• Injury estimates for the year have not yet been made available.

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 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.

A suspected drunk driver rear-ended a Houston police office Wednesday morning before striking a second vehicle and overturning.

Details of the Houston Drunk Driving Crash

According to the Houston Chronicle, SWAT officer Sgt. T. Fendia of the Houston Police Department was heading home when he was rear-ended by a vehicle on Highway 288 at around 12:30 am.

After hitting Fendia’s vehicle, the suspect’s vehicle hit another car before overturning. The driver had to be extricated from the wreckage and was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Fendia suffered minor injuries and the third driver was treated at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation.

National Traffic Accident Statistics

According to the latest available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

• 35,485 people were killed in auto accidents in the United States in 2016, marking a 5.6-percent increase from 2015.
• Of those killed in auto accidents in 2016:
  • 22,639 were occupants of passenger vehicles
  • 5,495 were pedestrians
  • 5,029 were motorcyclists
  • 829 were pedalcyclists
  • 665 were occupants of large trucks
  • 235 were listed as other or unknown
• Injury estimates for the year have not yet been made available.

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 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.

Edy Lopez-Hernandez, 27, has been charged with murder, intoxication assault, and failure to render aid following a fatal accident that claimed the life of 17-year-old Britney Baez.

Details of the Fatal DUI Accident

According to the New York Post, Baez and her family were on their way to a movie when their vehicle was struck by a car driven by Lopez-Hernandez. Lopez-Hernandez attempted to flee the scene of the crash with his 2-year-old son in the car.

A witness stopped Lopez-Hernandez and told him to return to the scene. Lopez-Hernandez was detained and transported to the hospital where it was determined he was “under the influence of narcotics.” Further investigation revealed that Lopez-Hernandez was traveling as fast as 70 mph when he rear-ended car Baez was traveling in.

Baez’s sister suffered injuries and her father was transported to the an intensive care unit with crticall injuries.

Texas Trucking Accident Statistics

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 438,000 trucking accidents in the U.S. in 2014.
• These accidents resulted in 3,903 deaths and 111,000 injuries.
• Of those killed in trucking accidents:
  • 17 percent were occupants of large trucks
  • 73 percent were occupants of other vehicles
  • 10 percent were listed as nonoccupants, including bicyclists and pedestrians
• Texas led the nation in trucking accident fatalities with 553 trucking-related deaths reported. California followed Texas with 300 recorded deaths.

Contact an Experienced Commercial Trucking Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury after being involved in an 18-wheeler accident, contact Thomas J. Henry immediately. Our experienced commercial trucking injury attorneys are available to respond to semi-truck accidents at any hour, day or night. Our lawyers understand that the immediate acquisition of evidence is paramount to understanding how the accident occurred. We will take immediate action on your case.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Remember, your choice does matter. Contact us today for a free legal consultation. Attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

Kia has issued a recall for more than 100,000 Sedona minivans following reports that power-sliding doors are not stopping when they hit an obstruction while closing. Customers have reported injuries from the power-sliding doors.

Details of the Sedona Sliding-Door Defect

According to CNET, Kia first began investigating the problem in September 2017, following a series of complaints from consumers.

Generally, the power-sliding doors will auto-reverse when hitting an obstruction – this feature is especially popular among families with small children. However, an investigation by Kia revealed that while the auto-reverse system in the vehicles was working, the threshold for the system to activate was set too high for some situations.

Kia noted that it has received 14 complaints in which a customer reported injuries, but the automaker has only confirmed two of those injury reports.

Kia has worked with a supplier to reprogram the power-door control module with a lower threshold for detecting an obstruction.

The recall is limited to 2015-2018 model-year Sedonas.

Toyota Recalls Minivans for Similar Defect

In 2016, Toyota recalled more than 700,000 Sienna minivans for a sliding door defect that could allow the doors to open while the vehicle is in motion.

That recall affected 2011 to 2016 Sienna’s and occurred when the sliding door is “impeded” while opening automatically. The impediment could cause the circuit to overload, preventing the doors from latching shut properly.

Contact an Experienced Vehicle Defect Attorney

Drivers have enough to worry about while traversing the roadways on a daily basis. When a person gets behind the wheel of a car, there is a reasonable expectation that the car is going to perform in a matter that would not put the operator’s life in jeopardy. Unfortunately there are hundreds of vehicle recalls each year due to manufacturer defects, from the tires to the ignition switches, that can cause catastrophic injuries and in some cases death. If you or a loved one have been injured due to a defective part in a vehicle, contact Thomas J. Henry.

Our experienced defective vehicle lawyers have handled a multitude of injury claims caused by recalled vehicles. We continue to handle cases involving faulty and dangerous GM ignition switches and Takata airbags. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free legal consultation — our attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

A Texas resident has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after causing a tragic accident that resulted in the deaths of a mother and her two children in Kansas in 2016.

Details of the Fatal Kansas Accident

According to ABC News, Steven Johnson, 45, of Houston, was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to a count of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary while driving under the influence back in March.

Johnson was sentenced to 14.5 years in prison for the murder count and nearly 3.5 years for each of the involuntary manslaughter counts.

An investigation of the 2016 crash concluded that Johnson was driving a large box truck on Interstate 70 when he crossed over the median and struck a passenger car head-on. 26-year-old Jessica Michelle Thompson was killed in the crash along with her two children, Jaydon Allan Thompson, 6, and Leah Michelle Thompson, 5.

Drunk Driving Facts and Statistics

According to the National Academies, alcohol-impaired driving remains the deadliest and costliest danger on the roadways. The following statistics on alcohol-impaired driving are provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Academies.

• 10,497 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in the United States in 2016.
• On average since 1982, one-third of all traffic deaths involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
• Every day in the United States 29 people are killed in a drunk driving wreck.
• A law lowering the BAC threshold from 0.08 to 0.05 percent goes into effect in Utah on December 30, 2018 — the first of its kind in the country.
• Almost 40 percent of drunk driving deaths are victims other than the intoxicated driver.
• Despite a 20 percent decline in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities since 2007, the total number of deaths increased for the second straight year in 2016.

Injured by a Drunk Driver? Contact an Experienced Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one were injured in a crash involving a drunk driver, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our attorneys are experienced in handling many types of accident cases, including those involving intoxicated drivers and distracted drivers. We are available 24/7, nights and weekends to take your call and evaluate your claim. Speak to one of our lawyers today for a free legal consultation.

Our law firm represents clients nationwide from our offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston.

The driver of a Tesla Model S claims his vehicle crashed into a parked police car in Laguna Beach, California on Tuesday while in autopilot mode. The incident is the latest in a series of accidents involving self-driving vehicles.

Details of the Tesla Autopilot Crash

According to the Los Angeles Times, the crash occurred around 11:07 am at 20652 Laguna Canyon Road. The officer was not in the cruiser at the time of the crash, and the vehicle was parked along the curb in a marked parking space.

The driver of the vehicle suffered only minor injuries and refused transportation to the hospital.

The area was the sight of another Tesla crash about a year ago when a Tesla vehicle ran into a semi-truck.

Other Autopilot Crashes Remain Under Investigation

Tesla has been in the news a lot lately, much to the dismay of Elon Musk the chief executive who boasts that the Tesla vehicles are some of the safest in the industry. Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent an investigative team to South Jordan, Utah to investigate a crash that happened while the driver was also using the Tesla autopilot feature.

Police in Utah said data from the Tesla vehicle showed that the driver enabled autopilot about 1 minute and 22 seconds before the crash. The report said she took her hands off the steering wheel “within two seconds” of engaging the system and then did not touch the steering wheel for the next 80 seconds, until the crash happened.

The NHTSA, have also been investigating a fatal crash that took place in March where a Tesla Model X struck a highway divider while in autopilot mode. They are also looking into another crash that took place in January where a Tesla vehicle struck a parked fire truck while using the autopilot feature.

In addition to these crashes, the National Transportation Safety Board are looking into four other crashes, that occurred last year, including three that are under review by the NHTSA.