The Houston Chronicle released crash data from the computer on board the Chevy Suburban Mr. O’Quinn was driving when he lost control of the vehicle and died. Also killed was Mr. O’Quinn’s long time assistant Johnny Lee Cutliff who usually did the driving according to those close to O’Quinn.
Autopsy’s performed on both men said they died of blunt force injuries.
Mr. O’Quinn had been at Houston’s Hobby Airport ready to fly to San Antonio when he realized he had forgotten some paperwork so he decided to rush home and get it and planned to take a later flight. It was raining and the roads were slick. The speed limit was 4o mph but O’Quinn was traveling at 79 mph. The crash data reported the vehicle slid into a curb. The vehicle became airborne and then hit a grassy median, witnesses have said. The vehicle then bounced into the air again, crossed three lanes of oncoming traffic and crashed into a tree. Both men were killed instantly.
What I think is odd is that reportedly, Mr O’Quinn never touched his brakes. But if he became unconscious, as everyone remembers happened in Florida due to diabetes, and his foot was on the accelerator, why did the speed not increase while he was airborne instead of decrease unless the jolt was enough to shift his foot off of the accelerator.
If Mr. O’Quinn had become ill, would that information not be in the autopsy report? Just when you think there are going to be answers, as usual there are more questions.
Again I would like to express my condolences to friends, colleagues and loved ones of the two men. I was just telling my friend how I was sitting the the lobby of the O’Quinn Law Firm when they flew me out to Texas to give a statement for Virgie Arthur’s lawsuit.
I heard the elevator open and off stepped Mr. O’Quinn. My friend said I should have chased after him and gave him a big hug. But I am a shy person by nature so I just watched him walk down the hall. I was told later that I could meet Mr O’Quinn another time but as we know now, that time will never come.
Its hard to remember that we are not promised tomorrow so if there is something special that you want to do or say to a loved one and you keep putting it off…don’t. Go do it. You never know when you or someone you care about will be gone.
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Link to story.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6735975.html
I wonder if being shy is really ‘by nature,’ like some natural selection…by fate?
Or, is it rather induced by ‘environment and early exposure to social situations.
Just a tangent.
I would like to think the good die young and a very lucky few don’t linger or suffer.
Brace for impact…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHwSEWsjIsQ&NR=1
Gosh, no wonder I don’t like to drive.
Give me a horse and buggy.
Actually, if I’d got ‘my way’ and had not been so easily ‘led astray.’
Good article QV. I wonder wth happened that John never hit the brakes. I had thought maybe a diabetic or heart attack, but I’m sure either of those would have shown up on autopsy. I sure hope that SUV was thoroughly checked out. On a different note, I saw HKS lawyer Sadow commenting to ET about the Rita case. Since he is/was NOT Howies lawyer in that case, how would he know ANYTHING about the dissmissal/settlement? If there was a confidentiality agreement, didn’t HKS just break it by sharing with Sadow? Or is that allowed even tho he was uninvolved ?
That’s a good question. Sadow is not admitted pro hac vice on the Rita case but I have no idea about how that works when you have a gazillion attorneys on different cases. Especially when one case is a criminal case.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your girls QV.
I agee with your statement ” Its hard to remember that we are not promised tomorrow so if there is something special that you want to do or say to a loved one and you keep putting it off…don’t. Go do it. You never know when you or someone you care about will be gone.”
I lived it frst hand, only to have to say it to a body instead of to his face.
Good article, QV. I’ve wondered if there was a medical issue also. And after reading about the ineptness of Perper, I’m wondering if the blunt force trauma was so great that his heart was not examined. I know they tested for drugs and alcohol, but did they check his blood sugar? Most people by reflex, unless they are unconcious will hit the brakes when the unexpected occurs.
Hi Mish. Ain’t it the truth. I’m so sorry about your loss. Take care..
Hey Carole, that is so true. Even though my kids are grown, I still have the “mommy reflex” when I make a quick stop. My right arm goes right in front of both of my adult kids and they laugh their asses off when I do it.
Ha ha Qv
My arm does it when nobody is sitting next to me.
Hard to sleep when you can hear a pin drop.
Well then pick them up, Freida