SOLDIER TRAGICALLY KILLED IN FORT WORTH CRASH | Dallas, Texas Personal Injury Attorney Blog

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of a young man who had dedicated his life to serving our country in the military. Clinton Young, who had just finished basic training in the U.S. Army was killed Tuesday when he was struck by a car and fell off a highway overpass just miles from his home.

Clinton had stopped along a bridge after his car was side-swiped by a van in a hit-and-run crash, police said. While he was standing near his parked car on the side of the highway, another vehicle then hit him, forcing him over the bridge. He had called his parents after the first accident, and they arrived at the scene minutes later, soon after he was killed.

Friends and family members say that Young, who had always wanted to serve his country, went straight into boot camp soon after he graduated high school in May, and had planned on becoming a military police officer. He had planned to graduate next month at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and was home for two weeks at Christmas. He had recently learned his first assignment would be in Germany.

After his death, the Army notified the parents that their son would still be honored during the graduation ceremony, and they said they plan on attending.

Tragedy can happen. Prepare yourself to be able to take extra precautions if you are in an accident on a busy highway or break down. Build a road safety kit that you can carry with you in your car at all times. The kit should include the following items:

– torch
– reflective triangle road safety signs
– traffic cone
– cell phone
– jumper cables
– a tow rope
– portable air compressor
– raincoat
– first aid kit

If you do find yourself stuck on the side of a busy road, first, DON’T PANIC! If possible, make your way over to the left hand side of the road and do not stop on the right hand shoulder.

Avoid stopping on or near bends in the road. Make sure you are visible from ideally 100 meters in each direction.

Pull over as far as you possibly can. You will be amazed by how many cars get hit when parked beside a road.

If you need to change a tire, do your best to stop on a flat road that is not on an incline.

Stop with your wheels pointing towards the barrier (A very important road safety tip). In the event that your car starts to roll, this way it will roll into the barrier and not into the line of traffic.

Turn on your hazards immediately

Make sure all passengers get out the car and stand at a safe distance from the road.

Open your car hood to show other drivers that you are broken down and not just stopped next to the road, this way road safety officers will also be able to identify you and come to your rescue.

Tying a white cloth or t-shirt to your driver side door handle can help alert other drivers.

Use the road safety cones and reflective triangles that you have in your road safety kit. Place these at a considerable distance behind your car so that oncoming traffic has lots of time to react.

If the problem is serious and you are unable to fix it in a short amount of time, do not try and be a hero, call roadside assistance immediately and get them to sort the problem out as they are better equipped with road safety equipment for these exact situations.

Remember, it is all about being prepared, not just with the correct road safety equipment, but also the knowledge to deal with these situations. Spread the word, distribute this article amongst your friends and family and do as much as you can to stay safe.

www.monteslawgroup.com Rachel E. Montes and Thomas A. Herald voted Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Dallas. Rachel E. Montes voted Texas Superlawyer. We specialize in personal injury and wrongful death. Call us, we can help.