Houston family sues refrigeration company after driver kills 7-year-old son
Montgomery - A Houston-area family is suing a national commercial refrigeration company after one of their drivers crashed into them, killing their 7-year-old son.
The crash happened the morning of August 8 on Interstate 69 in Montgomery County. Texas DPS reported Juan Pablo Ariza-Rozo and his 9-year-old brother, Andres, were in the backseat of their car, while their mother, Andrea Rozo, drove them to their first day of school. Investigators say a Chevy pickup, owned by the Hussman Corporation and driven by their employee, Juan Napoles, Jr., hit a guardrail, went airborne, and landed on top of the Rozo family’s Honda Pilot, crushing their vehicle.
Photo of August 8 fatal crash on IH-69 in Montgomery County. (Source: Scott Engle)
Juan Pablo was life-flighted to a local hospital and died two days later from his injuries. His mother and brother suffered severe cuts and bodily injuries. Another truck jack-knifed, as the driver tried to avoid the crash. The passenger in that vehicle was injured.
Photo of Juan Pablo Ariza-Rozo, the 7-year-old child who died in a truck crash August 10. (Family photo)
"That day somebody just destroyed our family. Everything changed that day," says Andrea Rozo. "Even our son said everything is different now. He doesn't have his brother to play with."
According to his obituary posted online, Juan was a second-grader at Southside Elementary.
Attorneys at Abraham-Watkins Law Firm also report the driver in this case, Juan Napoles, Jr., had an extensive driving record with multiple suspensions and speeding violations that caused crashes between 2016 and 2022 in Texas, including Cleveland and Conroe.
Police reports read Napoles, Jr. stated he was fatigued and had fallen asleep at the wheel.
Attorneys say records indicate he had fallen asleep while driving years before - resulting in another serious crash.
"Hussman Corporation put a bad driver with a terrible driving record behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle," says attorney Brant Stogner. "You can almost set a clock to this man. Every single year, there's either a crash, a ticket, or both. Hussman Corporation put a bad driver with a terrible driving record behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle."
The family is suing Hussman for wrongful death under gross negligence, seeking $100 million.
Fatal crashes are still a major issue on Texas highways. Texas DPS reported.