FANNETT, TX (05/10/2016) — Enola Walker and two her kids were seriously injured after a dump truck’s malfunction lead to an accident on Tuesday morning.
According to authorities, 32-year-old Enola Walker and her four children were injured following a multi-vehicle accident that occurred on Highway 124 (TX-124) in Fannett, Texas.
Police reported that at around 7:45 a.m., Walker was traveling southbound in a 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe when a northbound Peterbilt dump truck—driven by 57-year-old Manuel Rodriguez—lost its rear axle and wheels, which struck Walker’s Tahoe.
After the initial collision, the Tahoe spun out of control and was struck a second time by another northbound Freightliner truck, driven by 49-year-old Darrell Lee. The Freightliner veered off the roadway and caught fire.
Two of Walker’s children were treated and released from a nearby hospital. Her two other children were airlifted to Hermann Memorial Hospital, where they remain in stable condition in the ICU.
According to Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper Stephanie Davis, Walker was taken to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital with serious injuries.
This wreck remains under investigation by the DPS.
Donations to the victims can be made at Five Point FCU, using account number 1370788.
Commentary
The DPS strongly believes that a serious mechanical error lead to the truck accident, and the facts reported seem to back that up. Liability for mechanical errors and malfunctions typically fall on the manufacturer, or more likely, the company which owned and maintained the truck. If it’s found that this mechanical failure was in fact preventable through regular maintenance, the company could be facing a very strong civil lawsuit brought by the injured parties.
We hope for a quick recovery for those involved, and that a full and thorough investigation is performed in order to determine exactly what went wrong.
