A 43-year-old Mexia woman was tragically killed last Friday night in a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler driven by a state prison inmate. The accident occurred on Highway 7 at County Road 181, east of Marlin, at approximately 5:10 p.m.
The woman was travelling eastbound in a 2015 Nissan Versa when she was struck by the oncoming truck. She died at the scene. The prison trusty, 47-year-old Venson Williams, was uninjured.
Williams earned his commercial driver’s license back in 2009 through a vocational program while incarcerated, and has since worked as a driver after being released on parole. He was reincarcerated in 2014 for credit card theft and abuse, but continued to drive for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
While the accident is still under investigation, it has been said that the accident occurred when Williams attempted to pass another vehicle. According to an agency spokesperson, this is his first accident while hauling freight for the agency. In fact, this is the first fatal accident involving an inmate driver in recent memory, as inmates have been driving TDCJ trucks for decades.
An administrative review will soon be underway. It will be left up to the Department of Public Safety whether to charge Williams.
More on this story can be found online via KWTX.
Truck Accidents in Texas
Truck accidents claim the lives of nearly 300 Texans every year. Because of the sheer size and weight of these vehicles, collisions involving trucks virtually always end badly for other drivers. Sadly, 98 percent of truck accident fatalities are the drivers of passenger vehicles.
If you or a loved one have been harmed in a truck accident, you have the right to speak with an attorney about the possibility of a personal injury lawsuit. Our goal at the Law Office of Daniel D. Horowitz, III PC is to maximize your compensation so that you have the resources you need to recover and move on with your life.
To schedule a consultation with a Houston truck accident lawyer, call (832) 460-5181.