A 21-year-old man lost his arm in a commercial trucking accident late last month when the driver of a sanitation truck, with the fellow employee standing on the back of the unit, backed the truck into a tree, pinning the man’s arm.
According to the crash report filed by Texas Trooper Jacob Lavender, 40-year-old Noel Martinez was driving the Tiger Sanitation truck on July 27 at the intersection of Cascade Caverns and Scheele roads. The report stated Martinez was backing the truck onto Scheele Road from Cascade Caverns around the fork in the roads in an effort to turn around.
Chevis Williams, 21, was riding on the back of the trash truck when Martinez backed into a tree on Scheele Road, severing Williams’ arm as it was pinned between the truck and the tree.
Kendall County EMS Administrator Brian Webb said Williams was transported to the nearby Geneva School of Boerne, where a Methodist air response team was able to land. According to the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office call sheets from that day, Williams was transported to University Hospital in San Antonio.
While making sure not to divulge any private medical information, Webb said the victim survived the encounter and confirmed medical professionals were able to reattach Williams’ arm. However, he wasn’t able to disclose what the long-term prognosis would be for the victim.
Lavender’s crash report indicates Martinez may be charged with violating Transportation Code Sc. 545.415, which states “an operator (of a vehicle) may not back the vehicle unless the movement can be made safety without interference with other traffic.”
The field diagram from the crash report shows Martinez backed the commercial vehicle off the roadway on Scheele Road, hitting the tree with the back corner of the passenger’s side.
While Webb noted he wasn’t sure what protocols Tiger Sanitation has, he said county staff and EMS staff are required to have someone behind a commercial vehicle spotting the driver when the vehicle only has side mirrors. In general, he recommended any larger commercial vehicle driver have someone behind the vehicle spotting for him or her when traveling in reverse.
In all, several county responders went to the scene to assist with the accident, including an ambulance, Webb, the Boerne Fire Department and a fire marshal, who Webb said was one of the first individuals to administer aid to Williams at the scene.
Several attempts were made to reach Tiger Sanitation for comment, but a representative could not be reach by The Star’s Wednesday press deadline.
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