2014 Claims 6 Deaths in Highway Accidents in Maverick County
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
According to Maverick County Sheriff’s Department records during January to December 2014, a total of six persons were killed in highway accidents in Maverick County in 2014 while another 23 persons were injured among 35 highway accidents.
Maverick County is one of 23 Counties in South Texas designated as being part of the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas boom. The Eagle Ford Shale has brought significant increases of commercial and personal vehicles as well as thousands of workers, vendors, and visitors to South Texas. Maverick County is no exception.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s 2013 accident reports, the Eagle Ford Shale region has seen a significant increase of commercial vehicle accidents. In the three South Texas counties which contains over half of the active Eagle Ford Shale wells, Karnes, Dimmit, and LaSalle counties, the number of commercial vehicle accidents increased by 470 percent in a three year period. The number of accidents overall increased by 98 percent.
In 2014, the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department responded to 35 highway accidents in and around the various highways within Maverick County. Reports show that in these 35 highway accidents there were 59 people involved and 6 of the persons involved died in an accident within Maverick County. In total, there were 37 passenger vehicles and 16 commercial vehicles (18 wheelers) involved in the 35 accidents in Maverick County. Of the 35 accidents, 20 of them were single vehicle accidents and at least one of the accidents involved multiple 18 wheeler trucks.
Of these 35 accidents, a total of 23 persons involved in the accidents were transported to a hospital for further medical treatment and evaluation. Reports also show that six persons involved in an accident lost their lives in Maverick County.
According to Texas Department of Transportation records, a total of 3,450 serious accidents occurred in the 26 county-wide Eagle Ford Shale region with 238 deaths resulting from these accidents. The total number of accidents from 2012 to 2013 increased by 7% in the Eagle Ford Shale region.
Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber reminds drivers to be good defensive drivers, obey the speed limits and traffic signs, do not drink and drive, buckle-up, and do not text and drive to avoid being involved in an auto accident. Sheriff Schmerber stated to report unsafe drivers to the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department at (830) 773-2321.
According to recent studies, a majority of auto accidents in the Eagle Ford Shale are attributed to speeding and driver inattention to the roadway. Driver distractions such as cell phone use, text and driving, and talking to co-passengers while driving have contributed to many accidents in recent years.
