San Patricio County, TX — July 4, 2024, Jessica Robinson, Elizabeth Pagan, Will Klatt Jr., and five others were injured in a truck accident at 10:00 a.m. on I-37.
According to information released by authorities, the accident happened southeast of Mathis at the intersection of I-37 and Highway 188.
Investigators said that events began when a Chevy Silverado going northbound on the I-37 frontage road failed to yield to a westbound 18-wheeler on Highway 188. As a result, the vehicles collided, causing the 18-wheeler to veer off-road, down the embankment, and onto main lanes of I-37 below. This led to a multi-vehicle accident on northbound I-37.
At least eight people were injured in the accident. 43-year-old Jessica Kristina Robinson was a passenger in a Ford Escape who had serious injuries. Three others in the Escape, including two teens, had reportedly minor injuries. 49-year-old Elizabeth Pagan was in a Ford F-150 who had minor injuries, as well. 18-year-old Will Klatt Jr., the driver of a Ford F-250, had minor injuries. The driver of the Silverado was seriously injured while the 18-wheeler driver, a Jonseville, Louisiana, man, had minor injuries.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
In their initial statements, authorities allege that the Silverado driver was under the influence of alcohol. While some might think that makes all of this open-and-shut, it could actually make an already complex, chaotic crash a lot more challenging. The reason I say that is because it’s important following drunk driving accidents to find out if the driver had been illegally over-served by a local alcohol provider. People tend to associate that with bars, but any licensed alcohol provider can be responsible for contributing to a crash like this. Gas stations, liquor stores, brunch spots, super markets, wedding venues, and even sports stadiums can absolutely over-serve customers. Having handled hundreds of cases against negligent alcohol providers, I’ve seen just about every type of alcohol provider held accountable for their role in a serious accident.
My concern, though, is that authorities are already unreliable as it is looking into negligent alcohol providers, as they tend to stop their investigations at the drunk driver. Add on top of that the inherently complex nature of a multi-vehicle truck accident, and that only raises the concern something important might slip through the cracks. Hopefully there are safety nets in place here to catch anything like that, otherwise getting the victims and families here the answers they deserve could prove quite the hurdle.
