On Sept. 29, five people died on U.S. Highway 62 in the vicinity of Seagraves. The fatal accident took place 60 miles away from Lubbock, and police said that they were unsure what actually caused the incident.
According to a representative with the Texas Department of Public Safety, a Dodge pickup rear ended a GMC truck with significant force early in the morning hours. Both vehicles flipped over and exited the road before eventually stopping in a drainage culvert nearby. Only one of the people in the GMC was wearing a safety belt at the time, and all five of the individuals in that vehicle perished at the site of the collision. The GMC was occupied by two men, one of whom was later airlifted to a hospital for treatment of injuries.
Police say that the driver who caused the incident originally fled the crash site. After officials tracked him down, they took him to a hospital. Reports did not specify his condition nor mention that of his passenger. The motorist was later indicted on multiple criminal charges, including intoxicated assault, intoxicated manslaughter and a felony for not remaining there to assist the injured. It is unknown whether road conditions were a factor in the accident.
Fatal vehicle accidents can leave survivors such as the families of victims with severe feelings of guilt or emotional trauma. These individuals may be further distressed by the fact that they have to assume funeral costs after losing wage earners whose insurance may be insufficient to make up for the loss of future income. Car accident attorneys may be able to assist these victims by helping them use accident evidence such as police reports to pursue insurance payouts or court-ordered restitution.
Source: KWTX, “Five Killed In Crash On Texas Highway Identified“, September 30, 2013
