A long-time Montgomery county official, the Director of Montgomery County Environmental Health Services, was killed in a four-vehicle accident in Porter, Texas, reports My Fox/Houston.

The 65-year-old and his wife were returning home to Huntsville in separate vehicles after visiting their daughter in Atascocita, Texas. He was driving an SUV.

Around 3 p.m., four vehicles were heading westbound on FM 1314, approaching Riverwalk Drive, when the traffic light began to change.

A pickup truck in the left lane stopped, but a commercial truck, which was traveling at a high rate of speed, was unable to stop in time.

The bobcat truck rear-ended the pickup truck, swerved into the right lane, and hit the SUV.

The SUV flipped and struck a Chevrolet Colorado on the other side of the intersection.

Porter Fire crews arrived and got the county official out of the SUV, but by then, it was already too late.

He was pronounced dead at the scene on Monday at 3:59 p.m.

His wife was driving a separate vehicle in front of him and was not involved in the accident, but she saw the aftermath in her rear-view mirror.

The accident remains under investigation.

Read more.

The lawyers at Texas accident and injury lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law send our condolences to the man’s wife and his family.

Recent studies performed by researchers at Texas A&M University prove that text messaging while behind the wheel more than doubles the reaction time of the driver. Texting has a greater impact on reaction times than being legally intoxicated. But still Texans continue to text and drive, reports the Digital Journal.

Data provided by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration shows that distracted driving is responsible for nearly 20 percent of annual traffic fatalities–about 5,500 people– nationwide.

Receiving more attention than traditional distractions like eating, drinking, grooming, or intense conversation, texting is seen as a particularly invasive distraction.

In spite of ample evidence showing just how dangerous it is to drive while distracted, Texas Governor Rick Perry again vetoed a bill to make texting behind the wheel illegal.

The governor feels the proffered legislation was too invasive and “micromanaged” the private behaviors of adult Texans. He feels that they are capable of making their own decisions if properly educated about the dangers involved.

Read more.

Have you or someone you know been injured in a Texas auto accident?

The Texas accident and injury lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law may be able to help.

According to the Texas Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), there’s an increase in fatalities among 16- and 17-year-old drivers after several years of declines in that age group, reports CW33 News.

The GHSA examined deaths of 16 and 17-year-old drivers through the first six months of 2011 and found an 11 percent increase over the same period in 2010.

Twenty-three states saw increases, and while Illinois topped the list, Texas ranked sixth with a four percent increase. However, Texas was, sadly, first in the number of deaths. Twenty-six Texas teens ages 16 and 17 lost their lives in accidents involving teen drivers.

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is currently hosting its annual “Teen Click it or Ticket” campaign, with the Dallas area campaign kicking off on Saturday.

A TxDOT spokesperson, says, “We’re targeting those age groups [16- and 17-year-olds]. It’s going out to those campuses, and having contests, and making them aware that it’s an issue.”

Distracted driving [was] one of the things mentioned in the GHSA report that they were attributing [the rise in teen car accidents] to. Well, a better economy means more teens have more money to get these phones. And, they’re using these phones while they’re driving, and they’re talking and texting on the phone.”

Read more.

Have you or someone you know been injured in a Texas auto accident? The Texas auto accident and injury lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law may be able to help.

Research shows that although gridlock wastes time and money, it saves lives, according to Nasdaq.

The negative side of traffic congestion is that it wastes time and money. The latest Texas Transportation Institute analysis put the number of hours spent stuck in traffic at an average of 34 hours per urban commuter. Figuring for gas and lost wages, that’s a $101 billion cost.

But the traffic that we love to hate does do at least one very positive thing: It slows us down.

“Speed-related crashes are one of the biggest problems in highway safety,” says a spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. He says that one-third of all fatal crashes in the U.S. are due to speeding. “Research clearly shows that when speeds go up, deaths go up, and when speed goes down, deaths go down.” Read more.

Analyzing cities worldwide, two Swedish researchers noticed that where congestion was high (Delhi, India; New York), vehicular death rates were notably lower than in less-congested cities (Mumbai, India; Houston).

Seeking safe highways? Try Washington, D.C., which routinely ranks as the most congested place in the country. Want to escape all the traffic? Head to Montana. But you’ll have a greater chance of being killed on the road there than anywhere else.

Have you or someone you know been injured in a Texas auto accident?

The Texas auto accident and injury lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law may be able to help.

Inclement weather caused numerous car accidents in and around Lubbock, Texas, on Sunday according to Lubbock Avalanche Journal.

Roads were slick and hazardous, and the weather service advised against travel on Sunday.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TDT) reported snowplows were dispatched to Lubbock on Sunday, and the Lubbock Police Department (LPD) reported 188 wrecks in the city, not including hit-and-run responses.

Surrounding counties also reported numerous crashes–with Garza County having 16–but the overwhelming majority of them were minor.

Some vehicles on the road were seen traveling considerably slower than normal, especially on Loop 289 and the Marsha Sharp Freeway.

The LPD desk sergeant said the accidents were spread out all across town, and no part was excluded from fender benders.

All kinds of vehicles were involved in the accidents, even a bus returning to Lubbock from the Amarillo area.

Sheriff Officials in 10 local counties reported weather-related accidents as of 6 p.m. Motley County had four accidents, while Cochran County and Lamesa each reported three. Bailey, Dickens, and Floyd Counties reported two crashes apiece. Both Gaines and Yoakum counties had one crash, and the Brownfield Police Department reported one crash in the city limits.

Read more.

Have you or someone you know been injured in a Texas auto accident?

The Texas auto accident lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law may be able to help.

A worker at a Texas City chemical plant died from injuries sustained on the job on Saturday. He was working at Dallas Group of America’s Texas City facility when he was hurt while operating industrial equipment used for packaging products.

The victim was identified as Virgel James Stoker. Stoker was taken to Clear Lake Regional’s Mainland Medical Center in Texas City where he was pronounced dead.

The search continued on Thursday for a 63-year-old east Texas man reported missing after a Wednesday boating accident on Red River, reports the Shreveport Times.

Emergency crews from the Bossier and Caddo parish sheriff’s offices, Wildlife and Fisheries, Bienville and the South Bossier fire departments scoured the Red River from just after 4 p.m. Wednesday until dark for the Bivins, Texas, man, who was reported missing by his 64-year-old cousin.

The men’s boat struck something, possibly a rock jetty or outcropping, and they were thrown from the vessel that was badly damaged.

The cousin was able to pull himself onto the jetty, where he was found by another boater a short time later.

He was airlifted to LSU Hospital about 5 p.m., suffering from shock and hypothermia.  He also had multiple injuries, including head trauma and a possible fractured leg. He is listed in stable condition.

Special crews with cadaver dogs have been on the scene just south of River Bend Marina.

Authorities say the water temperature is about 50 degrees, which would make it difficult for a body to surface. The water is about 40 to 50 feet deep in the area being searched.

Read more.

The Texas boat accident lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law send our best wishes to the man’s family as they continue their search.

Recently released statistics show that Texas drunk-driving fatalities have increased while the country’s overall figures have gone down.

A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), released at the end of December found that Texas had six more drunk-driving deaths in 2010 than it did in 2009.

Drunk driving claimed the lives of 1,259 people in Texas in 2010—the highest number in the country by a wide margin, according to the NHTSA report.

Texas sees the most traffic deaths in the nation despite having only the second largest population, the NHTSA numbers showed.

Roughly 42 percent of all Texas traffic deaths involved drunk driving in 2010. That marked an increase from 40 percent the year before.

Data for 2011 will not be available until this time next year.

State lawmakers need to pay close attention to the suggestions outlined in a recent report from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a car accident lawyer said.

MADD urged Texas to implement sobriety checkpoints and advocated for ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers.

Have you or someone you know been injured in a Texas auto accident?

The Texas auto accident lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law may be able to help.

Investigators say a one-vehicle accident in East Texas has left three men dead after their car struck a tree, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) says the accident happened Saturday night in Rusk County, near Turnertown.

A 19-year-old man of Henderson and two passengers were northbound on Texas 24 in a 2003 Ford Mustang when their car veered into oncoming traffic. The driver over-corrected, lost control, and slammed into a tree.

The driver was taking the two brothers back to their house, just down the street from where they died. All three men were dead at the scene around 9 p.m.

Family and friends say that these three Carlisle High School graduates were the best of friends. A close friend of the three boys said that they had all been best friends since kindergarten, “They played football, and they were in the band.”

The younger brother graduated just last year. The older brother leaves behind a 6-month-old son.

“They were way too young for them to have lost their life this way,” the friend said.

DPS says all three men were wearing seatbelts when the crash occurred.

Read more.

Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law send their condolences to the families of these three young men.

When a motor vehicle comes into contact with a pedestrian, it’s almost certain that catastrophic personal injury will result, according to the Digital Journal.

In pedestrian accidents, pedestrians are unprotected from initial impact with the vehicle and secondary impact with the unforgiving ground.

These accidents often cause serious injuries, including brain and spinal cord injuries, life-long disabilities, and even death.

Pedestrians must obey traffic signals, use sidewalks and walkways, avoid placing themselves in danger, and be constantly alert to vehicle traffic. While motorists must obey traffic signals, cede the right of way in cross-walks, and be constantly alert to potential pedestrian traffic.

Pedestrian/vehicle accidents most often affect younger children. It’s important to instruct children in appropriate ways to safely walk on city streets.

Whether or not the pedestrian is responsible for the accident, the pedestrian may be able to seek compensation for property damage, injuries, and pain and suffering.

Read more.

Have you or someone you know been injured in a Texas pedestrian accident? If so, you need an experienced auto injury lawyer on your side.

The Texas auto injury lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law may be able to help.