Grandfather hit and killed at truck stop

BROOKSHIRE, Texas (KTRK) -- The household of a antheral who was deed and killed astatine a motortruck halt successful Brookshire says the mode the motortruck halt is acceptable up contributed to his death.

Reginald "Reggie" Smithers, 56, was deed connected Sept. 3, 2021 arsenic helium walked into the Flying J parking batch successful Brookshire. It is wherever helium caught a thrust to enactment each morning.

Surveillance video shows an 18-wheeler propulsion into a stall. The driver, Bobby Lee Calhoun Jr., got retired and, according to his interrogation with Brookshire police, that is erstwhile helium realized helium had deed Smithers.

"I turned astir and walked to the beforehand of the motortruck and turned," Calhoun explained to an serviceman successful a videotaped statement. "He moaned and I said, 'Oh my God. How did helium get up nether there?' And I said, 'Don't move.'"

Smithers, who had 11 children and 34 grandchildren, was dragged 65 yards.

"It's arsenic atrocious arsenic thing I've seen successful my life," said Sean Tracey, an lawyer for Smithers' family. "He [Smithers] was alive. He knew what was happening to him."

The video shows Calhoun get backmost into his motortruck and backmost up, revealing Smithers' body. By the clip constabulary arrived, Smithers was dead.

Calhoun was precise cooperative. According to the constabulary report, officers did not judge helium was impaired. Smithers' household points to different issue.

"I anticipation they get amended lighting and enactment up immoderate signs truthful it won't hap again," said Kristian Allen, Smithers' daughter.

That is wherefore Smithers' children are present suing the motortruck stop. They judge amended lighting and signage for pedestrians successful the engaged parking batch could person prevented the death. Calhoun raised a interest astir it successful his interview.

"It's acheronian successful that area. It's precise dark," helium told police.

Sadly, Calhoun has since died.

"This 18-wheeler operator was handicapped by a deficiency of lighting successful the parking lot," said Tracey.

An lawyer for Flying J did not respond to ABC13's petition for comment. The lawyer for the trucking company, PBH Priority Express Corp., who is besides named successful the lawsuit, did not respond either. In PBH's effect to the suit filed with the Harris County District Clerk, the institution said Smithers "failed to workout that grade of attraction which an mean idiosyncratic would person exercised nether aforesaid oregon akin circumstances" and "generally denies" each allegations.

Smithers' household and their lawyer accidental the motortruck halt has since added a airy astatine the entrance. They accidental they privation it had been determination sooner.

"I conscionable privation justness for my dad," said Allen.

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