Carol Williamson Harris, 69, of Tuleta, and Margaret Lou Hensley, 59, of Karnes City, were both tragically killed on Wednesday after their car was hit by an 18-wheeler in Karnes County.

The women were riding with John Ray Harris of Tuleta, and Gary Duskin, 69, of Karnes City. They were in a 2007 Toyota Avalon driving from Victoria on Highway 239 in Karnes County when they were stopped by a flagger in a construction zone.

Then suddenly the 18-wheeler slammed into them from behind.

Duskin and John Ray Harris were seriously injured with neck and back injuries and transferred to the hospital. The women died on the scene.

The driver of the truck, Dan Tucker, 59, of Runge, was hauling a load of seeds for Tri C Ventures. He will probably be cited for failure to control speed. The District Attorney will decide if criminal charges will be filed against him.

Signs were posted to tell drivers about the work zone. One in three work zone accidents occur because of a rear-end collision. In 2011, 81,103 crashes involved distracted driving and 361 were fatal, according to TxDOT statistics.

If your loved one has died or you have been injured from an 18-wheeler accident, the McMinn Law Firm is here to help you in your time of need. Our personal injury lawyers have years of experience winning 18-wheeler accident cases and can get you the compensation your family deserves. Contact the McMinn Law Firm today.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has removed more than 66,000 unsafe trucks and more than 12,000 unsafe commercial drivers from Texas roads since the start of 2011. The program, Operation Texas Thunder, is cracking down on vehicles and drivers that shouldn’t be on the road in an effort to reduce accidents and improve overall safety.

According to DPS officials, commercial vehicles are responsible for 15 percent of Texas crash fatalities and they believe the program has already saved countless lives.

Statistics:

- 331,505 inspections performed by the Highway Patrol

- 66,189 commercial vehicles removed for safety violations

- 12,301 drivers removed for safety, license violations

Accidents involving commercial vehicles often result in fatalities or severe injuries due to their size and weight. If you have been injured in a truck accident, contact the McMinn Law Firm for a free case review.

Any Austinite who drives on I-35 knows how dangerous 18-wheelers can be. Semi-trucks cause half a million wrecks in the United States every year, and thousands of those end in serious injuries and fatalities.

Just over a year ago, there was a devastating crash involving a truck killed 11 people in Louisville, Kentucky. Recently the National Transportation Safety Board released a report detailing the events that led up to the crash. The driver, who died at the scene, had just made a phone call one second before swerving across the median and striking a van head-on. According to phone records, the driver had also been sending and receiving text messages in the hours before the wreck.

The tragedy spurred an investigation into the company that the driver worked for, Hester, Inc., which found several violations of trucking safety laws, including instances of driving for over 11 hours straight and shifts longer than 15 hours. Investigators believe that the truck driver’s drowsiness was a factor in the crash.

Trucks making their way through the greater Austin area can pose a threat to drivers if they engage in dangerous, risky driving practices. If you have been the victim of a truck accident, contact McMinn Law today.