Accident & Injury Law in Texas

Posts Tagged ‘Texas 71’

Two men, one with life-threatening injuries, were treated Friday at University Medical Center Brackenridge after a wreck on Texas 71 at FM 973 in Southeast Austin, police said.

A white truck and blue Cadillac collided at 3:31 a.m. and the passenger in the Cadillac suffered the most serious injuries.  The driver of the car was freed after being pinned behind the wheel.  The drive of the truck was not hurt.

As details emerge from the fatal crash on Texas 71 that killed a father and two of his children, it appears that the man who caused the wreck said he had fallen asleep at the wheel, a Department of Public Safety trooper said.

John Horn, 29, of Kingsland was driving a Dodge pickup west on Texas 71 about a half-mile west of Spicewood at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2009 when it crossed the center line and struck a Nissan Altima, officials said.

The truck was so much higher off the ground than the car that it drove across the top of it, said Jose Colombo, a trooper who investigaged the wreck.

Russell Rutland, 37, and two of his children, 4-year-old Madison and 9-year-old Hunter, died at the scene.  Two other children, Zachary, 10, and Cole, 5, were taken to Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin where they were treated and released, Colombo said.  They had all been wearing seat belts or were in child safety seats, he said.

Horn was being held in the Burnet County Jail on charges – filed in April and May – of failing to appear, obstruction or retaliation and driving with an invalid license.  He has not been charged in the collision and toxicology results are still pending.

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Sadly, another youth was killed on Sunday on Texas 71 near Bee Creek Road in western Travis County where 10 people have died since October, 2006.  The wreck occurred about half a mile west of the spot where three teenagers were killed in a head-on collision February 16th.

James McDouglad, 50, lost control of his truck and collided head-on with Michelle Kauh’s car, killing the 16 year old who was coming back from work.  The crash is still under investigation, but the weather, which was clear and dry, is not expected to be a factor.

The Texas Department of Transportation announced plans for several safety measures, including enhancing traction on the road and installing warning signs.  The agency will also replace the painted center and shoulder stripes with thermoplastic “rumble” strips which alert drivers when their tires stray from the lane.