• 20
  • January
    2012

Earlier this week two oilfield workers died in a vehicle rollover accident, and another was injured. This Texas motor vehicle accident is just the most recent in a string of crashes around the Eagle Ford Shale region.

The single-vehicle rollover happened in Atascosa County late Monday evening. The 36 year-old pickup driver from Arkansas veered off Interstate 37. His truck collided into the median and overturned. The two passengers in the truck were oilfield workers, also from Arkansas. Both were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver was brought to South Texas Regional Medical Center, but details about his condition were not available.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash. Investigators have not determined the cause of the accident. Officials stated none of the men were wearing seat belts.

Eagle Ford Shale Accidents on the Rise

Unfortunately, this tragic accident is just one of many that has recently occurred around the Eagle Ford Shale. Five oilfield workers died in motor vehicle accidents in South Texas between September and December of 2011. A trooper from the Texas Department of Public Safety stated that the increase in collisions is most likely the result of the rise in traffic caused by the drilling boom surrounding the Eagle Ford Shale formation.

With the continued development of the Eagle Ford Shale region, traffic and motor vehicle accidents may only continue to increase. Hopefully increasing awareness among motorists will help make roadways safer.

Source: My San Antonio, Oilfield workers die in Atascosa County crash, Eva Ruth Moravec, 17 January 2012