A Navarro County jury has awarded a Port O’Connor woman $340,000 for her medical and court bills after a car accident left her seriously injured.

More than two years ago, Julia Murphy was struck by a passenger car while riding her dirt bike down Harrison Street. A car heading in the opposite direction driven by Ben Cravens Jr. made a left-turn off the same street, cutting Murphy off and causing a collision.

Both vehicles were damaged, and Murphy herself sustained serious injuries to her legs and jaw. Her medical bills alone cost almost $200,000. It took two years for her to recover fully enough to take her case to court.

The jury found Cravens 51 percent guilty, and Murphy 49 percent. Cravens’ insurance will pay for all damages, as well as court costs.

Bikes rarely win in collisions, and it’s often driver distraction that causes wrecks of these sorts.

Lee K. Nakashima, a 35 year old man, was in a car accident in Hawaii last year involving five vehicles.  He has been indicted on charges that he was under the influence of drugs when the wreck happened.

Nakashima was driving a 1989 Peterbilt dump truck when he rear-ended a Toyota pickup that was stopped in traffic.  The police reported that Nakashima had been speeding in the 45-mph zone prior to the accident.  The Toyota truck hit the back of a Honda sedan which was pushed into a Dodge pickup that hit a GMC vehicle according to police.

Six passengers were taken to a local hospital.  A 21 year old male who was in the back of the Honda suffered life-threatening injuries including a fractured skull, a punctured lung, and broken ribs along with face injuries to the eye socket, cheekbone, and nose.

Another passenger in the Honda has been unable to return to work due to dizziness and severe headaches after suffering a severe concussion, separation of his collarbone, and multiple disc injuries to his neck.  The driver of the Toyota pickup also has yet to return to work and might need surgery to repair a lower back injury.

Court records show that a blood sample from Nakashima at the hospital had marijuana, Valium, and hydrocodone in it.  He was released after posting $100,000 bail, but he has now been summoned to court.  He pleaded not guilty to ten charges in connection with the wreck.  His trial is set for July 6.

A woman has been indicted by a Texas grand jury for manslaughter and injury to a child.

Lynda Mescher was in a fatal accident in January in which her pickup rolled over and killed an 11 year old girl.

Mescher, the owner of a horse-riding ranch in Burnet County, was taking some kids on a weekend camping trip.  Brianna Plehn and five other children were in the bed of the pickup when it rolled over near Lake Travis.  Brianna was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is illegal in Texas to allow children under the age of 18 to ride in the bed of a pickup.  Mescher and the other children were taken to a local hospital.  There is no evidence that shows that Mescher was intoxicated or speeding at the time of the wreck.