Noah Calderon was a hard-working young man with great ambitions. After graduating from Mc Collum High School in San Antonio, at the age of 18, he was hired as a deputy by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). Everything seemed to be going well for Calderon as he entered adulthood. He was a top cadet when he went through the BSCO Academy, purchased his first home at the age of 19, and was even engaged to be married. But tragically, his life was cut short on Wednesday, August 12, when an 18-wheeler collided with his truck.
Calderon was on his way down to Corpus Christi, along with his fiancé and his younger brother. The three were traveling near Texas 188 and FM 796 between Sinton and Mathis in San Patricio County when Calderon’s pickup truck was struck by an 18-wheeler. The semi-truck is believed to have run a red light. A photo from the scene shows that the tanker truck belonged to the company Three L, a leading fuel distributor in Texas.
Sadly, Calderon died at the scene of the wreck. His soon-to-be-wife, Samantha Handy, was also killed. Calderon’s younger brother, Luke, who is only 13, was taken to University Hospital by AirLife with critical injuries.
On Friday, August 14, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office provided an honor escort for Calderon’s body as it left San Patricio County and was transported to the Porter Loring Mortuary on McCullough Avenue in San Antonio. Firefighters also paid tribute to the young deputy by holding up an American flag with their fire trucks over a bridge as the procession passed through.
At the time of this article, the Department of Public Safety is still investigating this tragic accident. San Patricio Sheriff Oscar Rivera told reporters that they believe the tanker truck may have run a red light. DPS will investigate various factors that could have led to this accident, such as loss of control of the vehicle, excessive speed, driver fatigue, or substance abuse. Pending results of their findings, the driver of the 18-wheeler could be ticketed or criminally charged.
The families of the victims may be entitled to compensation for this accident. In many cases, it’s not just the fault of the driver, but also the company that employs or contracts with them. Unfortunately, many trucking companies are so heavily focused on making money that they fail to provide adequate training and safe vehicles for their drivers. And as we discussed last week with Mo-Vac Trucking, some companies push the boundaries of the law, or even break them.
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 or visit the firm online at https://jfdlawfirm.com/.