When drivers are out late at night, they need to be on the lookout for parked vehicles. Vehicles parked in emergency lanes or on the shoulders are not fair game for other motorists, who may be driving dangerously.
One pickup truck driver in Houston learned this the hard way, when he sustained a serious head injury while driving on the Interstate 610 North Loop earlier this week.
According to police, the injured driver hit a pickup truck that was sitting in the emergency lane on I-610 because it had run out of fuel. The driver’s pickup truck reportedly clipped the parked truck, causing the man’s vehicle to roll onto its side.
While he sustained a head injury and had to be taken to a hospital, the driver is expected to survive. According to a report, tests conducted on the driver indicated that he was drunk at the time, but it’s unclear what the testing methods were. No charges have been filed yet.
Fortunately, no one in the parked pickup truck was injured. Depending on the speed the moving truck was traveling at, the collision could have been much worse if it had been a more direct impact.
And while it’s fortunate that everyone involved will survive, the driver should be aware that his actions put multiple lives at risk. Emergency lanes and shoulders exist to give stranded motorists a place to safely park while they wait for assistance. Parked drivers shouldn’t have to worry about other cars driving dangerously while they try to get back on the road.
Source: My Fox Houston, “1 Driver Hurt in Accident Involving 2 Pickup Trucks,” Alexander Supgul, March 29, 2012
