Nacogdoches County, TX — February 25, 2024, Benito Perez was killed as the result of an 18-wheeler accident at around 7:40 p.m. along Business 59.
Authorities said in preliminary statements that the crash happened along southbound lanes of Business U.S. 59/ North Street at the U.S. Highway 59 interchange.
According to officials, 63-year-old Benito Perez was in a Nissan Frontier going southbound on Business 59. Up ahead, it’s said that a southbound 18-wheeler was attempting to make a u-turn to go northbound. As it made the u-turn, Perez’s vehicle reportedly crashed into the back of the trailer.
Due to the collision, Perez sustained fatal injuries. There were no other reported injuries. Authorities did not mention any possible charges or citations.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
While I don’t have information about this crash beyond what’s already available to the public, I see some familiar details I’ve come across numerous times in past fatal commercial vehicle accidents I’ve handled. These similarities could prove to be inconsequential, but my hope is authorities are giving these potential problems the proper attention.
For example, any 18-wheeler making a U-turn is cause for concern. That’s not to say it’s necessarily illegal, but I’ve known many trucking companies to outright fire drivers for even attempting a U-turn because it’s just not worth the risk. Did authorities look into how this maneuver was performed? Was it performed safely? Was the tractor-trailer clearly visible? Did it use the crossover, or was this one of those situations where a driver missed their turn and was too impatient to find somewhere safe to turn around?
Ultimately, the evidence could very well show the truck driver did nothing unreasonable. But if there’s more to this story, the victim’s loved ones deserve to know what really happened.
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