West Texas Man Died After His Pickup Is Crushed Between A Semitrailer And A Piece Of Heavy Machinery

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) - Authorities in West Texas say a man has died after his pickup truck was crushed between a semitrailer and a piece of heavy machinery and the truck caught fire.
December 9, 2014 --Officials identified the man who died in a multi-vehicle crash Tuesday evening as 21-year-old Cesar Zea-Gomez of Mereta.

Zea-Gomez was pronounced dead by Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Kay Longest at the crash site on Loop 306 near Farm-to-Market Road 765, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety news release sent out Wednesday.
One person was injured in the crash, which occurred shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, the release stated.
A Freightliner tractor-trailer was northbound in the outside lane of Loop 306 behind a Ford F-150 pickup and a John Deere farm tractor hauling a cotton module builder.

The Ford pickup was partway on the shoulder of the road as it headed north, the release stated, and both the pickup and the farm tractor were traveling well under the posted speed limit of 70 mph.

As the tractor-trailer drove up behind the pickup and the farm tractor, the driver attempted to swerve to the right to avoid hitting the Ford pickup, the release stated.

The tractor-trailer then struck the pickup from behind, to the right, and caused it to go into a ditch to the east of Loop 306. The pickup came to rest in front of the tractor-trailer in its upright position facing north. It caught fire and was completely burned as a result of the crash, according to the release. Zea-Gomez died in the pickup.

The tractor-trailer continued down the road and struck the cotton module builder, which was being towed by the tractor, from behind. Both the tractor and the cotton module builder spun about 180 degrees, jackknifed then came to rest facing south on the outside northbound lane, the release stated.

The tractor-trailer traveled into a ditch on the east side of the road and came to rest facing north.

The tractor-trailer, which was hauling peanuts, also caught fire and burned as a result of the crash, but its driver, Lenial Wyatt Stapp, 40, of Lubbock, escaped the vehicle before it caught fire. Stapp was taken to Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo for non-incapacitating injuries.

The driver of the farm tractor, Alfredo Viveros Herrera, 33, of Benito, was not wearing his seat belt but was not injured in the crash.

After the initial crash, a Cadillac CTS sedan was northbound on Loop 306 approaching the crash site and was unable to stop before striking the cotton module builder.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motor vehicle, truck, semi, or big rig accident the office of Coby L. Wooten, Attorney at Law, P.C. is experienced in investigating these devastating types of accidents and can help provide answers. Call someone who knows and can protect your rights. Usually in these types of accidents the trucking companies have begun preparing for a defense of a claim within hours of the accident. Call us toll free 1-866-408-0940 for a free consultation.
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