January 22nd, 2013 | 
Author: KILGORE, Texas — A Kilgore 2010 High School graduate, identified as 20-year old Ruben Rios, was killed Friday, Jan 18, when the pickup truck he was driving struck the rear of a tractor-trailer on Highway 135 North in Kilgore.
A 20 year-old man was killed when the pickup truck he was driving rear-ended a semi truck in Kilgore, TX on January 18, 2013. Photo credit: James Draper / News Herald
According to KPD Capt. Roman Roberson, the fatal accident occurred on Friday morning as Ruben Rios was traveling north on Hwy. 135 when he rear-ended an 18-wheeler north of Goforth Road. Rios was pronounced dead at the scene.
Map showing location of fatal semi truck accident in Kilgore, TX on State Highway 135 about 3 miles northwest of downtown Kilgore on January 18, 2013.
The northbound tractor-trailer, driven by 47-year-old Christopher Parrish of Whitehouse, was reportedly turning into a business parking lot when Rios hit the back of the big rig. The media reported that Parrish sustained no injuries at the time of the collision.
Rios, who worked for Fleet Pride Inc. since August of 2011, was making one of his regular deliveries at the time of the crash.
Casey Roling, area manager for Fleet Pride Inc. said, “Ruben was a great employee. He was young, he had a good attitude, got to work on time, did his job and pretty much got along with everybody.”
Rios made people laugh, Roling said, a good guy who would joke with his coworkers between deliveries, while working in the warehouse or off the clock working out at Kilgore College’s Parks Fitness Center.
“Everybody knew him, liked him. He just kinda loved life, from what we could tell. He was young and ambitious. All in all, he was a good kid.”
Capt. Roberson said that the cause of the crash is undetermined and still under investigation by the Kilgore Police Department with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Blog Post by Houston truck accident lawyer Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP
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