Malachi Drain, 1 Injured in Car Accident on North Loop 610 in Houston, TX
Houston, TX — February 3, 2024, Malachi Drain and one other were injured due to a car accident at around 11:45 p.m. on North Loop 610.
According to investigators, the crash happened along eastbound lanes of Loop 610 at the Interstate 45/North Freeway interchange.
It appears that 24-year-old Malachi Drain and a 36-year-old man were in a Dodge Ram 1500 traveling along Loop 610. The Dodge apparently swerved after another vehicle veered across its path to make an exit. As a result, the Dodge left the roadway at the split, going onto the grass and hitting a guardrail. This reportedly caused the vehicle to overturn repeatedly.
Authorities indicate that Drain was thrown from the vehicle and sustained serious injuries as a result. The other person in the vehicle was said to have moderate injuries but apparently was not taken to a hospital by EMS. At this time, details about the other vehicle are unavailable.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
If it's true someone caused this and left the scene, it's important they're tracked down and held accountable if they haven't already been. But that may be just one factor that led to these serious injuries. Let me explain why I say this.
It appears only the victim here was ejected from the vehicle, and that's likely why he was so seriously injured while the passenger apparently was able to refuse treatment. Considering authorities never accused anyone of not wearing their seatbelt, how was the victim ejected? Could it be that a vital safety feature malfunctioned?
While defects are relatively uncommon, they're always worth consideration. That's especially true when there's a glaring red flag surrounding an accident. Not long ago, we had a case where one such flag came up.
While authorities handling that crash noticed nothing unusual in their investigations, independent accident reconstructionists found a serious defect with the driver's seatbelt. It failed to lock properly, allowing the victim to be thrown from their vehicle despite wearing their seatbelt. Had there not been more thorough investigations from investigators who had the experience and tools to catch those kinds of details, there's no telling if the victim's loved ones ever would have learned the truth.
Whatever happened here, and as important as it would be to find and hold accountable a hit-and-run driver, my hope is authorities don't get tunnel vision. Otherwise, they could miss something important.
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