Terrell, Texas Accident Underscores Danger of Fatigued Driving
- Jennifer Reed
- 10 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Terrell, Texas Accident Underscores Danger of Fatigued Driving
By Adam B. Reed, Founder & CEO Adam B. Reed & Associates
What a tragedy and our hearts weep for these victims and their families.
On June 28, an 18-wheeler slammed into a line of stopped traffic on I-20 outside Terrell, Texas. Reports are that he practically obliterated a pickup up trick and caused a chain reaction collision that resulted in the deaths of six people and changed the lives of countless others. Officials point to one cause and one cause only for this horrific accident.
The truck driver fell asleep.
Not only that, but the news reports that the driver’s employer, Hope Trans LLC, habitually flaunted Federal safety regulations. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, since May 2024, the trucking company and its drivers have routinely violated the hours of service rules. These are the rules that limit the time a driver can spend on the road to avoid fatigue. These violations include several false reports of driver’s hours, instances of allow drivers to drive more hours than the law allows, and at least one instance in which a driver was speeding and when he was stopped, he was prohibited from driving further because he was “impaired, through fatigue.”
You can see this for yourself at Safety Measurement System - HOS Compliance BASIC (U.S. DOT# 3556385)
These kinds of cases are exactly why I started representing people who have been injured in truck accidents. Don’t get me wrong: there are many companies out there who are serious about safety. I used to represent them and was always impressed by how seriously they took compliance with the law and regulations.
But, then there are companies like these. If the allegations are true, if this driver caused this terrible accident because he was fatigued, and he worked for a company with a history of disregarding regulations meant to prevent fatigue, then these families need justice. This company should be stopped, and this driver should face the full punishment that both the civil and criminal systems allow.
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