Six people were killed in four separate accidents over the weekend. In Arlington, 25-year-old Bruce Sirisakd was arrested for intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault after he lost control over his Honda Civic on I-30 near Fielder Road early Saturday morning. The car slammed into the median and then rolled. There were three passengers in Sirisakd’s car. The front passenger, like the driver himself, only sustained minor injuries. Of the two backseat passengers one was critically injured and the other was killed. Jimmy Phimmalang, also 25, died at JPS Hospital of his injuries.
Another fatal Arlington wreck occurred about twenty-four hours later also at I-30 near Fielder where a Ford F-250 struck the embankment. Investigators believe it was a single-vehicle accident. The driver was alone in the car. He was ejected from the truck and died at the scene of the accident. Why the Ford lost control is still unclear.
SUV Rollover Accidents
Trouble was not limited to 1-30 alone. A Jeep on the Dallas North Tollway near Trinity Mills Road was driving north when it hit a Pontiac Grand Prix (also reported as a Firebird.) What caused the initial accident is still unclear. Investigators are trying to determine if alcohol was a factor in the wreck. The Pontiac was pushed into the concrete barrier while the Jeep sailed over the guardrail and fell the devastating 15 feet onto the service road. The Jeep went on to hit a power pole and a tree. No serious injuries were reported in the Pontiac. The Jeep’s driver was taken to the hospital in serious condition and a passenger was killed. There have been no media updates on the driver’s condition since the accident was reported early Sunday.
Lewisville , WFAA Photo
A group of Nebraskans on their way home from Houston were embroiled in a deadly accident also on Sunday morning around seven am in Lewisville on I-35. The out-of-towners’ SUV lost control near the Lewisville Lake bridge for reasons investigators have not yet been able to uncover. The SUV rolled over leading to the deaths of two of the six occupants. The four other victims are recovering in nearby hospitals and media reports say they are expected to survive.
Fort Worth Motorcycle Accident
In Fort Worth an accident between two motorcycles claimed the life of 66-year-old Nathan Berman. The accident took place near Eagle Mountain Lake on Saturday afternoon. Berman passed away at a local hospital from injuries he sustained during the crash. Berman was driving one of the motorcycles involved in the accident. No other details have been reported.
December’s First Monday
Wrong-Way Pickup, FOX 4 Photo
Our luck didn’t change once the weekend was over. The trend of devastating accidents continued up to this morning where a wrong-way wreck on LBJ 635 at 4:15 am caused several injuries. The accident began with a pickup truck which started going east in the westbound lanes of LBJ between Welch Road and Midway. The pickup struck two unlucky SUVs both belonging to an Alabama family on their way to El Paso. The Alabama family included two children and a 4-month old who were all injured. Reports indicate that the children’s injuries were not serious, but that one female family member has suffered serious injuries.
Whether or not the driver of the pickup was drunk is not yet clear. The driver, reportedly covered in blood, fled the accident on foot. The pickup’s passenger did not flee the scene, but FOX 4 reports that he told police that he didn’t know the driver.
How it was possible for a potentially intoxicated, bloodied, traumatized driver to flee an accident on foot with police on their way at the deserted hour of 4:15 on a Monday remains a total mystery. Usually when drivers under these circumstances make a run for it, the police are able to quickly track them down or they are hit by another vehicle on the road. When the police do catch up with the wrong-way runaway driver, he could face a plethora of serious charges including fleeing the scene of an accident and intoxication assault if alcohol was the reason he was driving the wrong-way. Alcohol or drugs are usually involved in wrong-way collisions particularly those which occur late at night. Hopefully, the authorities will catch up to the pickup truck driver and be able to complete their investigation.
More Holiday Weekends Ahead
Increases in traffic over the holidays can make the roads more dangerous this time of year than any other. Drunken drivers who leave holiday parties or family gatherings can cause tragic auto accidents on their way home. Travelling groups and families will be on the roads at nonpeak hours travelling at high speeds or clogging the roads as additional traffic during rush hour. Be aware of other vehicles when traveling at any time of day or night. Enjoy the holidays, but stay clear-eyed and extra cautious when out driving. There are four more weekends left in December – let’s hope for no more fatal car accidents this month.
