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Sugar Land Black Ice 18-Wheeleler Accident Closes Hwy 59

US 59 HighwayAround 3:30 this morning, a major crash involving at least three 16-wheelers and one additional vehicle shut down all northbound lanes of Highway 59  in Sugar Land, Texas. The accident scene had not been cleared as of 5:29 this morning according to Houston Transtar.  The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department has not yet released information pertaining to their investigation of the cause of the crash. However, black ice is believed to have been a factor. The accident occurred on the elevated portion of the freeway where ice is most likely to form and resulted in all lanes being closed while first responders worked to clear the scene. This wreck demonstrates the extreme dangers of operating heavy motor vehicles in icy conditions.

Driving on black ice is dangerous for anyone in any vehicle. However, 18-wheelers on black ice are simply inviting accidents due to weather conditions. A fully loaded 18-wheeler moving at 65 miles per requires roughly 600 feet to stop on dry pavement. Add ice, and this distance grows substantially. As a result, if a truck must drive in icy conditions it needs to be moving about 5 mph until it can get off the road. But that does not seem to happen in Texas.

Federal Regulations Pertaining to Driving in Icy Weather

There is no specific regulation for black ice. However, there is a Federal Regulation that addresses driving in bad weather, including ice. 49 CFR § 392.14 is the Federal Motor carrier regulation that governs the operation of commercial motor vehicles in dangerous weather conditions. Under this provision,

“Extreme caution in the operation of a commercial motor vehicle shall be exercised when hazardous conditions, such as those caused by snow, ice, sleet, fog, mist, rain, dust, or smoke, adversely affect visibility or traction. Speed shall be reduced when such conditions exist. If conditions become sufficiently dangerous, the operation of the commercial motor vehicle shall be discontinued and shall not be resumed until the commercial motor vehicle can be safely operated.”

The problem with this regulation is that it is vague. What constitutes “sufficiently dangerous” is left to the truck driver who is simply trying to do his job and feed his family and the trucking company that pays him. If his company says it is safe to drive, what is he going to do? This exact situation resulted in a serious 18-wheeler accident in north Texas that caused serious injury and death to a family in a passenger vehicle that collided with an 18-wheeler on black ice. That case, Blake v. Werner, resulted in a jury awarding over 90 million dollars against one of the largest trucking companies. That verdict has been appealed and is under review by the Texas Supreme Court.

What Can You Do?

At the end of the day, the regulations that are supposed to protect all drivers leave the decision of whether it is safe to drive up to the people driving. This defeats the purpose of having a regulation. If you or a loved one are injured in an accident involving dangerous weather and vehicles that probably should not have been on the road, talk to a truck accident lawyer in Houston to determine what your options are. Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., have been representing accident victims of serious truck accidents since 1979 and are standing by.

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