Remembering the 13 Senior Citizens who Lost their Lives 3 Years Ago
Uvalde County has some of the most beautiful land in Texas. Cool, clear rivers, stunning hilltop views, and long, winding roads that stretch on for miles.
But on March 29th of 2017, just three years ago, a terrible tragedy happened – right outside of Garner State Park. A bus carrying members of the First Baptist Church in New Braunfels were headed home from a retreat at the Alto Frio Baptist Encampment. As they traveled south down Highway 83 about 7 miles from Garner, a young man in a pickup truck veered into their lane and struck the bus.
The driver of the bus, and 11 senior citizens on the bus, died at the scene. Another church member passed away later at a hospital in San Antonio. One woman survived.
The driver, Jack Dillon Young, was injured but survived the accident. Tragedy can strike at a moment’s notice.
Before colliding with the bus, Young had used prescription drugs and marijuana. At least three people in the area had reported his erratic driving to the police, who were out looking for his vehicle. Unfortunately, they were too late.
A report by the National Transportation and Safety Board revealed that Young had taken twice the prescribed amount of a sedative before the accident. And that, combined with his use of marijuana, contributed to this tragedy.
In November of 2018, Young was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the deadly accident. Young received due punishment for his crime, but sadly it doesn’t bring the 13 victims back. Knowing that he is behind bars may have helped the families to move on – but is it enough?
The son of one of the accident victims didn’t think so. And he decided to sue the Young and his father, who owned the vehicle that Young was driving.
Ross Allen, whose father, Howard Bryan Allen, died in the accident filed a lawsuit for $1 million in damages in an effort to hold Young and his father accountable. Ross Allen told a local news station that his father was “a man of great faith who believed in holding people responsible for their actions both morally as well as financially.”
The lawsuit stated that Young was texting at the time of the accident and that his father, who is named in the lawsuit, was aware of his son’s drug use and still allowed him to drive the vehicle.
No amount of money can bring a loved one back, but it can help their families to move on. Whether it’s about justice, paying for medical bills, or funeral expenses, you have a right to seek justice.
DeSouza Law Firm is a leading personal injury firm representing accident victims throughout Texas.
If you’ve been injured by a car, truck, 18 wheeler, company vehicle, or in the oilfield, call DeSouza Injury Lawyers today at 361-799-2222