Speeding Causes Death of Dallas Girl

When three drivers are speeding at 100 mph, a deadly crash is inevitable

There is no excuse for driving too fast. Anytime you do, you put yourself, your passengers, and every one else on the road at tremendous risk. People who speed will crash into other vehicles at a much higher rate of speed, set off violent chain reactions, and cause injuries and even deaths. These become heart-breaking stories, like what happened recently in a Dallas crash that tragically ended the life of a 9-year-old girl.

Olivia Mendez was in a car that was making a left turn at Lake June Road in Dallas. She had just graduated from her school that evening and was almost home. But three muscle cars were speeding down the road from the other direction. The driver of a Dodge Challenger couldn’t stop in time and slammed into the girl’s car, throwing her from it. Her parents and her 3-year-old sister were also seriously injured. The police arrested the three racers and I hope they get long sentences. But nothing can replace the life of this sweet young child. We made a donation to the family’s GoFundMe site and hope you can as well.

Speeding is a huge problem on Texas roads

Any time a driver drives recklessly, he has converted his vehicle into a deadly weapon, just like a gun. But some people have a childish need for speed. Often the people who cause these crashes are young and relatively inexperienced drivers. They may be driving while intoxicated and/or under the influence of drugs, further making the risk of violent collisions, serious injuries, and fatalities high.

But while a street racing crash is relatively rare on Dallas-Fort Worth roads, speeding “accidents” are common. They kill more people in Texas than drunk drivers and account for two-thirds of all motor vehicle crashes.

Types of speeding collisions

Chances are that if you have in a car or truck wreck, it was caused by a speeding driver who was doing one of these risky maneuvers:

• Exceeding the speed limit, driving at an unsafe speed, or failing to control his speed,
• Disregarding a traffic signal, stop sign, or yield sign,
• Failing to yield the right of way at an intersection,
• Turning when unsafe or being in the wrong lane,
• Passing when unsafe, in a no passing zone, on on the right shoulder, or
• Improperly starting from a stopped position.

Texas Law Regarding Street Racing Can Support Your Negligence Claim

If you have been injured when someone decided that a North Texas road was a good place to re-enact the “Fast and Furious” movie, you have options available through the insurance and legal system.

Street racing is illegal and punishment ranges from a Class B misdemeanor to a second degree felony pursuant to Texas Transportation Code, Section 545.420. No driver can participate in any type of race on a public road by outdistancing his vehicle, preventing another from passing, or testing his physical endurance over a long-distance route.

In the civil courts, violation of the statute is negligence per se.

Evidence of speeding helps you win your injury case

You need your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages repaid. You can use the insurance claims process and Texas courts to recover the damages you have suffered.

In a speeding accident, the violation of the law gives you prima facie proof that that driver was liable for your injuries. We work hard to prove that the case has egregious liability. We get all evidence from the scene and police department to prove our client’s case. We argue stopping speed tables to prove that the speeding caused the crash and that negligence is a given. For example, it takes the average car with average brakes 122 feet to come to a complete stop at 40 miles per hour, going on one-half of a football field, and commercial trucks require far more stopping time, including reaction time.

Why do people drive so fast?

It’s a rhetorical question, but presumably all drivers know that speeding increases his or her risk of being in a car crash. It is common knowledge that you won’t have enough time to stop to avoid colliding into another car, pedestrian, motorcyclist, or cyclist. So what’s the rush?

Contact Berenson Injury Law

Berenson Injury Law specializes in one type of case: helping the victims of car, truck, tractor-trailer, motorcycle, and pedestrian accidents. We have been fighting for our clients for nearly 40 years.

We have represented thousands of people who have been in crashes.We just filed a lawsuit when a speeding commercial truck collided into the rear of our client’s car and seriously injured her and are litigating several speeding 18-wheeler cases and others involving cars , SUVs, and pickup trucks.

For your free case review, contact us today at 1-888-801-8585 or email us.