According to crash reports, officers responded to two (2) crashes on December 8, 2022 shortly before midnight. A gray Mercedes Benz driven by Carl Shockney (68) was traveling northbound on Dallas North Tollway. It was raining and the roads were wet. When he failed to drive in a single lane, attempted to correct and entered a side skid. The vehicle crossed all lanes of traffic and impacted the temporary retaining wall on the left outer lane of the roadway. The Mercedes came to rest in the number 2 and 3 lanes facing west. While still in his vehicle, 15 cars successfully went around the Mercedes including a silver Toyota driven by Alexander Milogradov (43). When a Ram 2500 driven by Edward Williams (58) approached, and according to the report, failed to control speed and took faulty evasive action causing a second crash due to striking Mr. Shockney and Mr. Milogradov. The investigating officer said that Mr. Williams showed signs of intoxication, but refused a specimen. The officer was unable to obtain a warrant at the scene, so Mr. Williams was booked into Collin County Jail for DWI without a specimen. Officers charged Mr. Shockney with Driving While Intoxicated. Both Mr. Shockney and Mr. Milogradov were transported to the hospital to receive care for their injuries.
Commentary
Any time a crash leaves a car in the roadway, another crash becomes exponentially more likely. Clearing crashes from the roadway is a very necessary means to prevent a crash. But what can a driver do once they are disabled on a busy roadway? If you find yourself involved in a crash or a stalled vehicle situation, we believe it is best to leave the roadway IF it is safe to do so. Drivers are frequently distracted and often cause another accident because they aren’t paying proper attention to the roadway. Waiting for help to arrive while you are in a car in the roadway or on a shoulder is often dangerous. Avoid getting out of a car into a busy roadway or standing on a shoulder to exchange insurance information. If you do seem to be stuck and cannot safely leave the area, make sure you are using a safety belt while sitting in the vehicle and call for help right away. You could report the crash to 9-1-1 first so that emergency responders can help get you to safety or provide assistance for medical needs. If you are able to safely get yourself and passengers off the roadway you can then reach out to a towing service. Make sure that you wait in a safe place and don’t attempt to cross back into the roadway for an item left in the vehicle. This particular case has complicating factors such as drinking and a wet roadway that need to be evaluated in order to make a claim for injuries.
