Most of us don’t even think about how dangerous it is to get in the car and head out somewhere. We just don’t think about it. We do it every day, and yet we rarely stop to think that we’re really putting our lives at risk every time we are either a passenger or a driver on the roads of Dallas-Fort Worth. As a North Texas personal injury lawyer, I know that deadly wrecks happen throughout DFW on a daily basis. Some are caused by drunk drivers, but not every crash is the cause of such gross negligence.

On Saturday afternoon, for example, Juana Mancilla, 71, of Grand Prairie, was killed in a fatal two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Dickey Road and Texas 161 in Grand Prairie. Mancilla was a passenger in an SUV which allegedly ran a stop sign putting in the path of a van which hit its side. According to police, Mancilla was ejected from the SUV which then rolled over, landing on top of her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Both the driver of the SUV, Jose Cruz Mancilla, 41, and the driver of the van, Billy Bannister, 71, as well with four additional passengers in the SUV were taken to hospital by ambulance to be treated with what were described as non-life threatening injuries.

I don’t want to speculate on the cause of this terrible accident, since clearly as a passenger in the SUV, Mrs. Mancilla had no control over the vehicle she was riding in at the time of the collision. Naturally, my thoughts and sympathies go out to all those who were hurt in the wreck, as well as their loved ones.

Unfortunately, while it does not appear that there was any significant negligence prior to this accident taking place, it goes to show just how suddenly and without warning an auto accident can occur. We should all realize that getting behind the wheel is the most dangerous thing we do every single day. And we should all resolve to take much greater care while driving around DFW.

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