Alabama Injury Attorneys Blog

The mother of a child killed in a two-car crash in Harris County has sued CenterPoint Energy and Joslin Construction Co., alleging both failed to repair a malfunctioning traffic light. Alma Crus-Reyes lost her 8-month-old daughter in the crash on May 29 after a traffic light was not working due to maintenance. Another child, 3-year-old Valeria Mendoza, was also killed in the crash.

The two-car accident occurred around 1:40 p.m. after a 1997 Chevrolet Suburban collided with a 2005 Chevrolet pick-up truck. A total of 16 occupants were in the two vehicles and neither child was restrained in a child safety seat. State law requires children of a certain age to be secured in a safety seat.

The personal injury lawsuit alleges that the signal at the intersection of Garrett and Beltway 8 was under maintenance and not working properly. The wrongful death suit contends that the two companies, CenterPoint and Joslin Construction Co., should have provided warning signs to alert motorists of this hazard.

The personal injury attorney representing Alma Crus-Reyes said "the sole reason this accident happened was because they didn't advise anyone nor did they take steps to control the traffic once they turned off the lights."

The attorney for Joslin Construction has denied all liability stating that they had no involvement with the signal. CenterPoint Energy has yet to comment.

According to the sheriff's investigators who examined this fatal crash, all safety belts were occupied in the Chevrolet Suburban. A Harris County Sergeant said proper restraint would have saved these two children's lives. Both vehicles failed to stop at the signal and neither automobile stopped to treat it as a four-way stop. The fatal car accident remains under investigation.