HOUSTON – An Angelina County man who participated in a local triathlon last year claims he was hit by a motorist during the event and has filed a state district lawsuit.
Scott Smith’s suit, which was filed on Sept. 7 in the Harris County 157th District Court, pins the Dec. 10, 2017 accident during the Towne Lake Triathlon on its organizer, Tejas Tris, LLC, doing business as Bayou City Tri Series, and the driver in question, Dolores Oates, of Cypress.
According to the 7-page complaint, Smith was bicycling in the outer southbound lane of Barker Cypress Road when Oates ran through the intersection with West Road and struck the plaintiff with her black Hyundai Santa Fe SUV.
The eastbound Oates purportedly “did not stop or slow down” prior to the subject incident.
Smith asserts Tejas Tris improperly planned the triathlon’s route and safety precautions, stating they “did not meet the standard of care required for such events to protect its participants.”
Consequently, the complainant seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
He is represented by the Law Office of Roberto Salazar in McAllen, Tex.
Harris County 157th District Court Case No. 2018-61085