Amarillo Accident On I-27 Claims Life Of Rolando Martinez

On Monday, February 3, officers responded to an accident on the 4300 block of northbound I-27. The accident occurred around 4:10 p.m.

Rolando Martinez, a 24-year-old from Amarillo was driving a 2016 Toyota Tacoma northbound on I-27 in the inner lanes. For reasons unknown at the present time, Martinez rear-ended the car in front of him.

The 2016 Toyota Camry, driven by a 50-year-old woman also from Amarillo, and the Tacoma belonging to Martinez came to a stop several hundred feet from where the accident originally occurred.

The report does not specify if the vehicles were unable to clear the road, but they ended up staying in the inside northbound lane of I-27 to wait on police and emergency personnel.

A 2001 Freightliner, driven by a 57-year-old man from Woodward, Oklahoma was also traveling in the inside lane of northbound I-27 when he came upon the accident between Martinez and the Camry. Although he was only pulling an empty grain trailer, the driver was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the sitting vehicles. He first struck the Tacoma, which then struck the Camry again.

The Texas Transportation Code specifically states that if a driver can do so after an accident, they are to remove the vehicles from a major roadway and to an accident investigation site. This is only if the vehicles are in a state that does not require the intervention of a tow truck.

The driver of the Camry and Martinez were both transferred to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries. The driver of the Camry was classified as having non-life-threatening injuries from the accident.

Martinez, however, was reported to have life-threatening injuries and later died while at the hospital.

Police are still investigating what caused the initial rear-end collision between Martinez and the Camry. The names of the woman nor the truck driver involved in the accident have been released at the time of publication.