Semi-Truck Driver “Distracted by Dating App” Kills Texas Woman
The driver of a semi-truck that crashed into a Tomball woman’s SUV, killing her, was allegedly taking screenshots and looking at a dating app at the time of the crash, according to new allegations made against the driver. A woman died from her injuries in the May 22, 2024, crash that happened in Bell County in central Texas. According to the lawsuit, the decedent was in her vehicle, which was stopped on I-35, when the 18-wheeler slammed into the back of her SUV from behind. According to her family’s attorney, the driver of the semi-truck was distracted.
“There was significant phone use by [the semi-truck driver] up to the crash, including the moments during the crash,” said an attorney representing the family. Dashcam video appears to show the semi-truck driver looking away from the road just before the crash. After analyzing his phone records, an investigation revealed that at 4:44 a.m., the semi-truck driver took a screenshot of himself and a friend on their motorcycles. The crash occurred just one minute later at 4:45 a.m. In addition, a download found evidence that the driver was on a phone call, using his Apple Watch, and reviewing screenshots from his Facebook dating app.
An attorney for the plaintiff said, “He’s not even looking, so we’re left to wonder, had he been looking, what could he have done?” The new information was included in an amended lawsuit. It names both the driver and the company that employed him, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., one of the largest trucking companies in the United States.
In a legal response to the lawsuit, J.B. Hunt denied all of the allegations made against its driver and company and suggested both the victim and her driver were the ones responsible for the accident. Of course, we know that’s not true because the semi-truck slammed into the back of the decedent’s vehicle, so unless she were driving in reverse, she could not have possibly caused this accident. Nonetheless, companies are allowed to put anything they want into a response to a lawsuit and then settle the lawsuit under seal later. Such a tactic, however, tends to infuriate jurors. In a lot of cases, the defense will admit negligence and then defend the lawsuit on the question of damages. That, however, only works when the victim is still alive. Wrongful death lawsuits don’t leave much question as to how substantial the plaintiff’s injuries are.
Attorneys for the plaintiff believe that they have a strong case against the driver, who had been counseled on several occasions before the fatal crash for distracted driving. Six weeks earlier, his truck’s detection system flagged him for eating while driving and using his elbow or knee to steer, according to one report.
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Source:
abc13.com/post/truck-driver-distracted-dating-app-before-crashing-tomball-woman-bell-county-central-texas-lawsuit-claims/15986131/
