December 10, 2024, was a fateful morning for a cement truck driver in Houston, Texas. Houston news outlets reported that around 9 a.m., a cement truck and a delivery truck collided on the busy Beltway 8 near Bammel North Houston Road. The impact was so severe that the cement truck crashed through the concrete barrier of the Beltway and landed upside-down on the feeder road below. During the fall, a pole was struck, and it crashed on top of a car sitting on the feeder. The driver of the cement truck did not survive the crash. At least two others were injured as a result.
The nature of the crash and the result leave many questions. How did the cement truck take the brunt of the impact? What may have caused the initial collision that sparked a chain of events leading to several wrecked vehicles? Those involved eagerly await answers from the accident investigators.
Delivery Trucks vs Cement Trucks
The surprising thing about the collision is that the cement truck got the worst of it. Cement trucks typically weigh 20,000 to 30,000 pounds when they are empty. When full, they can carry enough concrete to weigh close to 70,000 pounds. Delivery trucks, like a UPS truck or a common FedEx truck, typically run around 12000-15000 pounds. Thus, you would expect a delivery truck to alter the direction of travel of a Cement truck barely.
Cause of the Crash Under Investigation
The Harris County Sheriff’s Department has not yet released the cause of the crash. The police have indicated that a total of five vehicles were involved and that it all began with a collision between a delivery truck and a cement truck. The delivery truck ended up on its side on the beltway, blocking traffic. But based on the cement truck’s path after impact and final destination, the police must be looking into the following possible causes of collisions to determine which, if any, may apply:
- Distracted Driving. If one of the drivers failed to notice the traffic slowing down even though 9 a.m. is still pretty stop-and-go on Houston’s beltway, it would suggest that someone was distracted, whether by a cell phone, radio, or other distraction in the vehicle.
- Excessive Speed. The fact that the vehicles impacted and the heaviest still had momentum to crash through a concrete barrier and plunge to the ground below suggests that unsafe speed for the traffic conditions could be a factor.
- Drowsy Driving. Because the wreck happened at 9 a.m., the police investigated whether either commercial motor vehicle driver had exceeded the Texas Hours of Service rules.
- Unsafe Lane Change. The cement truck’s continued momentum could result from a glancing impact caused by an unsafe lane change either by the delivery truck driver or the cement truck driver.
Until the investigation concludes and perhaps the electronic data recorders for the trucks can be accessed, we can only speculate.
What to Do If You Are Injured in a Cement Truck Wreck
If you are the victim of a cement truck accident, speak to a cement truck accident attorney about your rights. Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., has been investigating accidents caused by commercial motor vehicles since 1979.
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