Some very sad news.
LA GRANGE — State Rep. Joseph Moreno of Houston was killed today when a pickup truck he was driving overturned on a highway.
State Rep. Rafael Anchia of Dallas and a legislative staffer suffered minor injuries. Police said Moreno, 40, who was driving, apparently overcorrected after the truck slipped off the shoulder of the eastbound lane of State Highway 71.
The truck veered into the median and flipped several times, said Lawrence Roome, communications officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety Communications station in Pierce. All three occupants were wearing seatbelts.
Anchia and Monica Lisa Pinon, chief of staff to state Representative Joseph Pickett of El Paso, were taken to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin where they were treated and released.
Moreno, a Democrat, was first elected to the House in 1998. Anchia, also a Democrat, was elected in 2004.
My condolences to Rep. Moreno’s family. He was a good guy, and he’ll be missed.
UPDATE: The Chron story linked above has fuller coverage now. Rep. Aaron Pena remembers his friend.
UPDATE: More from Marc Campos and Stace Medellin.
UPDATE: More from Rio Grande Valley Politics.
STATEMENT BY CHARLES SOECHTING
(AUSTIN) — “Texas Democrats are saddened by the tragic death early this morning of our friend Joe Moreno.
Joe represented Houston’s east end with integrity and aplomb. His deeply rooted commitment to mainstream values made his constituents proud and embodied what his party stands for.
Our prayers are with his friends and family.”
Rollover deaths in pickups and SUVs are becoming more and more common. And thanks to regulatory changes instigated by the auto industry, seat belts aren’t helping.
Rep. Moreno’s family should consider a wrongful death suit against the manufacturer of his pickup truck – before the GOP passes a law against that too.
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