Jury Rules (C&W Singer) Toby Keith's Father Not At Fault In Crash That Killed Him

AP / KOTV Channel 6 Tulsa, OK ^ | 12-24-07 | AP writer

[OKSooner]

PURCELL, Okla. (AP) - Toby Keith, his mother and his siblings have been awarded $2.8 million in damages in the 2001 collision that killed the country music star's father. A jury returned the verdict against Elias Rodriguez and Pedro Rodriguez, operators of Rodriguez Transportes of Tulsa, and the Republic Western Insurance Co.

According to evidence presented at trial, a charter bus owned by the Rodriguezes was ``in urgent need'' of brake repairs before H.K. Covel was killed in the March 2001 accident on Interstate 35, said attorney Greg Dixon, who represented Keith's family.

The Rodriguezes had been advised of the brake problem before Covel's truck crossed the center median and struck the bus, he said.

The family initially suspected Covel suffered a medical condition that caused the truck to veer out of control. It later learned another vehicle had bumped the truck and filed a wrongful death lawsuit to clear Covel's name, Dixon said.

The verdict was returned last week. ``The jury found no fault on the part of Mr. Covel in the wreck that claimed his life,'' Dixon said.

The plaintiffs, wife Carolyn Covel, daughter Tonni Covel and sons Toby Keith Covel and Tracey Covel, alleged that H.K. Covel would not have died if the bus had been equipped with properly working air brakes.

[OKSooner]

For those who aren't from around here, Toby Keith is a local C&W singer. Can't say I'm his biggest fan, because of his habit of jumping out in front of the camera at almost ANY televised OU sporting event.

Can't say I'd wish this situation on him, though. I also can't help but wonder about the "immigration status" of these Rodriguez dudes.

[OKSooner]

Christmas ping to you and whomever has the immigration ping list.

[VOA]

” I also can’t help but wonder about the “immigration status” of
these Rodriguez dudes.”

Especially given that Tulsa seems to be the de facto
“sanctuary city” of Oklahoma.

[Cruising Speed]

Covel's truck crossed the center median and struck the bus

...and it's the bus driver's fault?

[not2worry]

Well at least OU has fans!

I love Toby Keith and the work he has done on supporting our Troops.

Every cloud has a silver lining, sometime you just gotta look harder for some than others.

[1rudeboy]

Can't say I'd wish this situation on him, though. I also can't help but wonder about the "immigration status" of these Rodriguez dudes.

That's so true. If only, and maybe, the driver was a U.S. citizen Toby Keith's father wouldn't be dead, but just resting.

[em2vn]

Do you mean the Toby Keith who is a world famous country music performer and the man who has been supporting our troops since day one in the war against terrorism? Is it the same man who smacked the Dixie Chicks, silly?

[OKSooner]

"The family initially suspected Covel suffered a medical condition that caused the truck to veer out of control. It later learned another vehicle had bumped the truck and filed a wrongful death lawsuit to clear Covel's name, Dixon said. "

Now you know as much about it as I do.

[OKSooner]

Lighten up and have a Merry Christmas.

I just said I wasn't the guy's biggest fan, and my reason for it. Your point is well taken.

[VOA]

...and it's the bus driver's fault?

This is not the best-written article.

But what is sounds like is the truck driven by Toby Keith's dad was
struck by another vehicle, causing the truck to cross the median,
where it was blasted by the bus.

My naive speculation is that maybe when the Oklahoma Highway Patrol
did a thorough investigation, they learned the bus's brakes were
in a mess...thus the driver was unable to avoid hitting the truck
by simply braking.

It could be that the accident reconstruction and eye witnesses showed
the bus had plenty of distance/time to avoid collision even though
the truck was where it should not have been.
E.g., maybe there was no "skid mark" left by the bus trying to
avoid collision.

This all may come under that high duty of all motorists, avoiding
collision and injury.
And the bus-line owners were found wanting, having given
their bus driver a vehicle with defective brakes, hence the verdict.

[robertpaulsen]

"...and it's the bus driver's fault?"

Well, according to the article, that depends.

If Covel crossed the median because of a medical condition, then no. But since he crossed the median because he was bumped, the bus driver should have been able to stop.

("When logic and proportion, have fallen sloppy dead")

Now a sane person would think that the family would sue the driver who bumped Covel, causing the accident. Hah! Everyone knows you sue the person with the most insurance -- who cares if it's not their fault.

[SeaHawkFan]

Depends on if the bus could have stopped in time if the brakes were working properly. If his truck had been pushed intoi the other lane and the bus couldn’t have stopped in time with good brakes, the status of the brakes wouldn’t have mattered.

[Crawdad]

It later learned another vehicle had bumped the truck and filed a wrongful death lawsuit to clear Covel's name, Dixon said.

So I'm guessing they won't take the money. Grifters.

[kenth]

Yeah, deepest pockets win, so to speak.

[TeleStraightShooter]

I also can't help but wonder about the "immigration status" of these Rodriguez dudes.

"Rodriguez Transportes of Tulsa"
Does the state of Oklahoma have a habit of granting business licenses to illegal aliens?

[armymarinemom]

That would be the one.

[Bob J]

” I also can’t help but wonder about the “immigration status” of these Rodriguez dudes.”

Why?

[GATOR NAVY]

Do you mean the Toby Keith who is a world famous country music performer and the man who has been supporting our troops since day one in the war against terrorism?

He came down to the piers and sang on board one of the ships at Gitmo a few years ago. I'm not a country music fan but I remember being impressed because usually celebrities only want to visit the CVNs and LHAs, not the little guys.

[stormer]

“Why?”

Well for starters, everybody knows that with a name like that they can’t be ‘merican. Frankly, while we’re at it, I think we should throw the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Fe, El Paso, and San Antonio right out of this country - clearly with names like those, real ‘mericans couldn’t live in them. Why, we could get rid of the whole state of New Mexico.

[RebekahT]

Well put.