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11
Jan

Bicyclists, motorcyclists, motor vehicle drivers need to be cautious–Part 2

January 11, 2012

Bicycle fatalities are fairly uncommon in the Texas Panhandle, but on Thursday afternoon one Amarillo bicyclist was killed and one critically injured, according to the Amarillo Globe News. See our blog from Monday for more infomation.

In 2011, there were six pedestrian deaths, three motorcyclist deaths, and zero bicyclist fatalities from traffic accidents, the Amarillo Police Department reports. In 2010, five pedestrians, two motorcyclists, and one bicyclist were killed in traffic accidents.

In 2010, 429 motorcyclists were killed in Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation reported. More than half of motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Gabriel Medrano said that bicyclists and motorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle drivers in the eyes of the law, and they need to be just as cautious on the roads as motor vehicle drivers.

“They have to be really aware that they’re a really small object on the roadway and … people aren’t used to seeing bicyclists and motorcycle riders,” he said.

“Drivers need to be aware that there are bicycles out there and there are motorcyclists out there.”

Medrano advised that bicyclists should choose roadways with light traffic, wear helmets and reflective, brightly-colored clothing, avoid riding at night or early in the morning, and “ride as close to the right-hand curb as possible to stay away from traffic.”

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9
Jan

1 bicyclist killed, 1 critically injured in Amarillo–Part 1

January 9, 2012

A Thursday afternoon wreck killed one Amarillo bicyclist and left another critically injured, according to Amarillo Globe News.

At about 4:10 p.m., a 46-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman, both from Amarillo, were riding their bikes on the westbound Interstate 40 service road. A westbound 2008 Toyota Tundra driven by a 78-year-old man of Amarillo struck them from behind.

The male bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, and the woman was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital in critical condition.

The driver of the Toyota was “impaired by the sun” and did not see the bicyclists, Department of Public Safety officials said. Both riders were wearing helmets.

Ken Graham, president of Share the Road!, said, “[They] were enjoying a bicycle ride on one of Amarillo’s most popular bicycling roads, a road used almost every day of the year in all kinds of weather by local bicyclists. It’s unimaginable to me that any local motorists would not be aware that bicycles were out there on that frontage road going both directions.”

Local governments can do more to prevent accidents from happening in the future, Graham said.

In our next blog on Wednesday, we will give you some statistics about bicyclist, motorcyclist, and pedestrian accidents in Texas and suggest some safe practices for all of us.

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5
Jan

40-car pileup near Port Arthur leaves at least 54 injured

January 6, 2012

Fog and smoky conditions in Southeast Texas, near Port Arthur, caused dozens of vehicles to pile up in a major wreck early Thursday morning, reports Fox News.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Rod Carroll said that at least 10 ambulances were dispatched to the scene on Highway 73, just west of Port Arthur.

He stated that “multiple” people were injured in the string of accidents, involving as many as 40 vehicles.

“The accidents were caused by poor visibility due to a mixture of fog and smoke from march wildfires,” said Carroll.

In parts of Jefferson County, fires have recently swept through some dry marshlands.

Fox News also reported that life-flight helicopters were dispatched to the scene.

The highway was closed down completely shortly after 6 a.m. between Winnie and the Taylors Bayou Bridge, the Houston Chronicle reports. Traffic was left at a standstill for several hours.

No one was killed, but at least 54 people were injured–four of them critically–according to investigators.

What was reported as a wreck at 5:36 a.m. actually involved more than 50 vehicles in a series of accidents along the eastbound lanes of the highway in the area of the Veolia Processing Plant.

Drivers should use Interstate 10, FM 365, or Texas 124 as alternate routes, advises the Department of Transportation.

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4
Jan

College football player died in highway accident

January 4, 2012

An Texas A&M University football player died three days before Christmas in an auto accident, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The 22-year-old senior backup offensive lineman swerved to avoid a buzzard and hit an 18-wheeler head-on near the town of Norangee on FM 39, about 40 miles from College Station.

The driver of the 18-wheeler was not hurt, KBTX-TV reported.

The football team had practiced earlier that day, December 22,  for the final time before breaking for Christmas. The team played in Houston for the Meineke Car Care Bowl, which pitted the Aggies against Northwestern on New Year’s Eve.

“We lost a great brother,” A&M senior safety posted on his Twitter account. “Crazy to think we just saw him earlier (Thursday).”

The young man is survived by his mother, his father, and his sister.

Former A&M footballcoach Mike Sherman said, “He was one of the most respectful and high-character players I’ve ever coached. It was an honor and privilege to have known him and coached him.”

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3
Jan

8 die in East Texas fiery 2-car crash

January 2, 2012

On Friday at about 11:30 a.m. near Annona, Texas, a head-on collision resulted in a fire that killed eight people, including a mother and her three children, reports USA Today.

A rented Chevrolet Malibu headed east on U.S. 82 crossed the center line and struck a westbound Chrysler 300 carrying the 29-year-old Annona mother and her three children, ages 8, 6, and 10 months, according to the Houston Chronicle.

A passerby came upon the burning wreck in Annona, which happened about 150 miles northeast of Dallas. Annona is a town of fewer than 300 people.

The Chevrolet was rented in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by two men, ages 25 and 24, from Compton, California, who died along with two women, ages 19 and 21, in their car. One of the women was also from Compton; the other was from Long Beach, California.

It was unclear who was driving at the time of the collision, why it crossed the center line, or why both cars burst into flames.

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