El Paso, TX is one of the most welcoming multicultural cities in the United States. It boasts 320 days of sunshine each year and is rich with history, college life, museums, and activities to suit anyone who lives in or visits this vibrant community. However, traveling through El Paso for business or pleasure can provide some of the most treacherous travel in the United States, with its hospitality overshadowed by the deadly stretches of roads throughout its borders.
Car accidents in El Paso, TX are expensive, creating financial hardship stemming from the cost of medical treatment and the inability to work during recovery. Specific roadways in this city are recognized for their dangers to travelers, becoming the sites of multiple roadway accidents annually. Speak with a knowledgeable car accident lawyer in El Paso at Farah Law if you are injured in a car accident on one of these dangerous roadways.
El Paso, TX Grim Crash Statistics
Over 16,000 motor vehicle accidents were reported in El Paso in recent statistics provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Sixty-nine fatalities resulted from these incidents, with thousands of others impacted in some way by crashes on El Paso roadways. Some of the most dangerous areas include:
I-10
One of the main arteries through the heart of El Paso is I-10. This stretch of interstate hums around the clock with the sound of 18-wheelers and car traffic moving cargo and travelers east to west. Recent annual data displays a dismal reality concerning the safety of travel on I-10 according to statistics from the Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S.) provided by TxDOT:
- This stretch of highway accounted for 2,977 crashes in one year.
- The number of motor vehicles involved totaled 6,523.
- These accidents impacted 8,139 individuals.
With commerce thriving throughout Texas, El Paso County experienced over 1,000 commercial motor vehicle accidents in one year. Accidents along the I-10 corridor often stifle traffic for hours, particularly on the portions along the interstate entering from the east of El Paso, with the distance between exit ramps stretching for miles.
Hwy 62/180/ Montana Ave.
Montana Avenue is the dividing roadway between the northern and southern portions of El Paso. Very few areas cannot be accessed from Montana Ave., making it one of the most trafficked roads in El Paso. C.R.I.S. documented 200 car accidents on this street annually. The intersection of Montana Ave. and Joe Battle Blvd. has been a consistent hotspot for car wrecks for years.
It would be careless to ignore the increase in car accidents spanning Hwy. 62/180, which merges and becomes Montana Ave. through El Paso, spurred by the oil and natural gas industry to the east. Hwy. 62 connects the Mexican border on the outskirts of El Paso to the Canadian border. Many El Pasoans utilize this stretch of road weekly for oil and gas industry work.
Even after the oilfield boom settled with the advent of COVID-19, C.R.I.S. documented over 1500 car accidents in three years on what was considered one of the most serene and picturesque drives along Hwy. 62/180 in Texas. The highway now resembles a driving memorial decorated with silk flowers, crosses, and hard hats, noting the multitudes of car crash sites.
Zaragoza Road
With El Paso's east side continuing to grow, portions of Zaragoza Rd. have transformed from a meandering road through the dunes of the Chihuahuan desert into a bustling trail dotted with new restaurants, shopping complexes, and apartments providing a complete living experience within a defined compact area.
With these small portions of Zaragoza still developing south of Hwy. 62/180, drivers along this section can operate unencumbered by the heavy traffic that often stifles more congested areas of town, allowing for more speed. According to the El Paso Vision Zero Action Plan, areas of roadway near Zaragoza Rd. and George Dieter Dr., along with portions of N. Loop Drive and Zaragoza, are among the roadways with the highest frequency of severe crashes.
Dyer St. / U.S. 54
Also noted on El Paso's Vision Zero Action Plan as the area with the highest frequency of severe crashes is the area near Dyer St. / U.S. 54 and Sun Valley Dr. This centrally located road (U.S. 54A) leading north has 397 annual car accidents documented on C.R.I.S. along its entirety. Raised medians were added because of the number of accidents on portions of Dyer St., which now lends a layer of complication in maneuverability for cyclists and pedestrians.
Mesa Street
According to the Vision Zero Action Plan, several stretches of Mesa St. on the west side of El Paso are included in the top roadways for the frequency of severe crashes. Mesa Street is a significant connector of the northwest portions of El Paso to the heart of the city. At least three points of concern were listed.
El Paso Roadway Management and Car Accidents
It is vital to stress that while many of these roads run within the borders of El Paso, they are managed by the state. The Texas Department of Transportation supplies the maintenance, safety planning, and upkeep of many of these highways, roads, and streets. According to the Vision Zero Action Plan, the top five intersections with the highest frequency of severe crashes include:
- Joe Battle - Montwood
- Gateway West - Yarbrough
- Gateway West - McRae
- Mesa-Shadow Mountain-Sunland Park
- Montwood-Zaragoza
The City of El Paso is responsible for 650 signalized intersections, over 50 miles of medians, and 200,000 square feet of city streets. If you have been in a car accident in El Paso and road conditions contributed to the crash, it is imperative to understand who is responsible for road maintenance as this entity may be a responsible party you can take legal action against.
Understand Your Options as a Car Accident Victim in El Paso, TX
The dangers of unsafe travel should not overshadow your daily commute through El Paso. With the number of motor vehicle accidents growing, you should speak with the dedicated team of El Paso car accident attorneys at Farah Law to discuss the damages you suffered in a wreck. Let our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys and staff help you recover financial compensation when you need it most.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your legal options as a car crash victim today. We are proud to provide legal services in both Spanish and English.
