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Three people were hurt early Monday morning after a blown tire on an 18-wheeler led to a multi-vehicle crash near Alice, Texas.
18-Wheeler Spilled Cargo Across Highway
The Alice 18-wheeler accident occurred at approximately 2:15 a.m. on July 15th, as one of the two semi-trucks was headed southbound on US-281 at County Road 129. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the rig blew a tire and tipped over, spilling its cargo across the roadway.
A witness in a passenger vehicle stopped to assist the trucker. But as they were doing so, a second 18-wheeler traveling southbound on US-281 struck the initial overturned trailer, as well as the driver of the passenger car and the driver of the first truck.
The crash closed the southbound lanes of US-281 for several hours as investigators and first responders arrived at the scene. The roadway did not reopen until 10:00 a.m.
1 Critical After Alice 18-Wheeler Accident
All three drivers involved in the Alice 18-wheeler accident suffered severe injuries.
The man at the wheel of the passenger car, a 67-year-old resident of McAllen, Texas, was taken to a local hospital and later transferred to Corpus Christi, where he was last listed in critical condition. Both truck drivers, identified as a 38-year-old man from San Antonio and a 48-year-old man from Mission, were treated at a local hospital. They are reportedly in stable condition.
The crash remains under investigation.
18-Wheeler Accidents and Tire Blowouts
According to data compiled by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), tire blowouts and other forms of tire failure were the primary cause of approximately 6 percent of all serious large truck and 18-wheeler accidents reported in the United States in 2022.
There are a number of reasons an 18-wheeler or other big rig might experience a tire blowout, and most are entirely preventable:
- Under-Inflation: Underinflated tires are more susceptible to punctures or cuts.
- Over-Inflation: Overinflated tires are often caused by heat, which can result from excessive speed.
- Overloading Cargo: An overloaded truck can place too much pressure on tires, potentially causing them to rupture.
- Wear and Tear: Failure to periodically replace tires will eventually result in dangerously low tire tread, greatly increasing the risk of punctures or explosions.
- Mismatched, Improperly Sized or Improperly Installed Tires: Poorly matched or improperly sized tires cause uneven wear, while mistakes made during installation make a blowout more likely.
- Defective Manufacturing: Tires sometimes suffer from manufacturing defects that increase the risk of a blowout. Trucking companies and their drivers should stay alert for tire recalls that could impact their vehicles.
As was the case in the Alice 18-wheeler accident, a ruptured tire may cause a truck driver to lose control of their rig and roll over, or they may crash into other vehicles. Even if the trucker manages to maintain control, a crash resulting from a tire blowout can scatter pieces of the tire and cargo across the roadway. As other motorists attempt to swerve to avoid the debris, they may collide with each other.
FMCSA regulations mandate that truck drivers and trucking companies conduct vehicle inspections and maintenance at regular intervals. If a tire issue is found, the truck should be taken out of service until it is resolved. When a trip extends across multiple days, the trucker should check the tires at the end of each day and stop driving if they notice any issue that could cause a tire blowout or crash.
Contact our Undefeated Texas 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636
Our Texas Truck Accident Lawyers are monitoring developments related to the Alice 18-wheeler accident and will post an update if new information becomes available.
In addition to being undefeated, our Texas truck and 18-wheeler accident lawyers have won Billions for our clients and consistently recovered record-breaking verdicts and settlements for thousands of crash victims in Texas and throughout the United States.
If you or someone you love were hurt in connection with the Alice 18-wheeler accident or another commercial truck crash, please call 1-888-603-3636 or use our contact form to send us a confidential email.
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