Mother says son’s death might have been prevented if semi-truck ban enforced

Nearly four months since her son and his motorcycle ended up beneath the tires of an 18-wheeler on the 1800 block of Montwood and Trevino a mother still has questionsa bout the wreck.

Signs posted throughout the area state the big rigs are prohibited from traveling there.

Monica Zubia said 18-wheelers pass through that intersection all of the time. She’s healing from the loss of her only son, a process made harder because of the unanswered questions surrounding 25-year-old Reyes Zubia’s death.

He was leaving a bar, but it’s not clear if he was intoxicated. He crashed into a large truck, but semi-trucks are banned at the intersection.

She’s frustrated, and although part of the blame may fall on her son, she’s also holding the City accountable for not enforcing its own laws.

In the early morning hours of April 28th, Reyes was traveling southbound on Lee Trevino’s inside lane when a semi made a wide right turn.

Monica said her son had two choices: crash into the side of the truck, or slide underneath it. He chose the second option, but ended up under the truck’s rear wheels, dying minutes later.

“The truck just turned, just cut him off,” Monica said.

Since her son’s death, Monica said she’s been watching that intersection. She said she sees trucks there every day, and as it turns out, they’re not allowed to be there.

The signs show that “on all four corners of the intersection of Montwood and Lee Trevino,” Monica said. “There are signs that say no trucks longer than 26 feet in length, yet all day truckers are going up and down that street.

But police stated in a release there was another cause of the crash. Their preliminary investigation suggests that speed and alcohol may have contributed to Reyes’ wreck, but they’re still awaiting confirmation from toxicology results. Monica said even if her son was drinking that morning, it still shouldn’t have happened.

“It is a dangerous intersection,” Monica said.

She said the trucks that aren’t supposed to be driving through that intersection are to blame.

“It’s a law, if they’re going to put a sign there they should enforce the law,” Monica said. “I mean, if they put signs you can’t go over the speed limit, and they enforce those signs, why not enforce trucker signs?”

Monica also said police did not cite the truck driver and never mentioned that he wasn’t supposed to be driving through the intersection. The Department of Public Safety could not be reached for a response to her claims.