An early morning collision last week resulted in the death of one woman. KFDX News Channel 3 reported this terrible wreck as a pin-in crash. Glenda Michel, 71-years-old, was driving a black Honda Civic southbound on McNiel. Sergeant John Spragins, a public information officer with the Wichita Falls Police Department, said that Michel’s Civic was struck by a tractor-trailer heading west on Southwest Parkway. He also remarked that Michel had a flashing red light, and that the tractor-trailer driver, Derek Adams, had a flashing yellow light. Spragins stated that the Civic pulled out in front of the 18-wheeler in the intersection of Southwest Parkway and McNiel.
Glenda Michel died due to injuries she sustained in the crash. Her passenger, 72-year-old Raymond Lee, was immediately transported to United Regional’s emergency room for treatment of his injuries. There is no word on Mr. Lee’s current condition. Derek Adams, 39 years old, and 28-year-old Justin Cross were in the semi truck. Outside of the information about the traffic lights, law enforcement officials haven’t released many details regarding this crash. Could distracted driving have been a factor? Were the stop lights functioning properly? The Times Record News reports that this collision is still under investigation.
In March, we reported on another deadly semi truck crash that took the life of an Oklahoma City man. In 2007, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released a causation study of large truck crashes. They found that a major risk factor for semi-truck crashes is an interruption of traffic flow. Large tractor-trailer trucks can weigh over 10,000 pounds. Semi-trucks need more room to stop than smaller cars. A truck driver may not have enough space to stop in the event of an interruption of traffic. Collisions involving 18-wheelers are often catastrophic for other drives due to the size and weight of the large trucks.
Investigative officials with the Wichita Falls Police Department are likely still trying to determine a cause of this wreck. If you’ve lost a loved one in an 18-wheeler crash, you should contact a wrongful death attorney as soon as possible. An attorney who is experienced in handling wrongful death cases can check into potential truck safety violations that may have contributed to the wreck. The team at the Altman Legal Group sends their deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Glenda Michel. We also wish Mr. Lee a speedy and full recovery.