HOUSTON Two people, including one of Houston s most prominent attorneys, were killed Thursday morning in a single-vehicle crash on Allen Parkway.Famed trial lawyer John O Quinn and an assistant were traveling westbound on Allen Parkway in a black Suburban around 8:15 a.m. when the crash occurred.
Investigators said O'Quinn, 68, was driving, and neither man was wearing his seatbelt.
Police at the scene said the SUV lost control, jumped the curb, went airborne and crashed into a tree on the eastbound service road.
The tree nearly cut the SUV in half. Both O Quinn and his passenger, Johnny Cutliff, died at the scene.
Investigators were looking at weather and speed as possible factors in the crash.
It could be both or it could be something else. It's just way too early to tell, Lt. L.J. Satterwhite of the Houston Police Department said. Certainly Allen Parkway is a winding road. And people can misjudge it if they're not careful.
A witness told 11 News the SUV appeared to be moving at a high rate of speed when it lost control.
She and a friend rushed to the crash site to help the men, but it was too late.
Police said they've yet to determine exactly how fast the vehicle was traveling, but witnesses told them it was between 50 and 60 mph.
Investigators had traffic blocked for hours after the accident, and crews had to cut down the tree before removing the vehicle.
Some people who live along Allen Parkway believe the street is dangerous especially in the rain.
Steve Garza heard the impact of the crash and saw the flashing lights behind his home before he knew what happened. He said he s had a front-row seat to accidents before.
About a month and a half ago within a three-day span, we had nine accidents at this location, Garza said.
TxDOT stats indicate there have been 72 accidents on Allen Parkway through August of this year. That s already more than the 61 accidents recorded last year.
Garza said he s sent dozens of e-mails to the Department of Public Works, complaining about conditions he believes are akin to a ticking time bomb.
I had stated that I believed somebody was going to get killed out here, Garza said.
News of the crash spread quickly, and Houstonians took to the Internet, expressing their condolences and remembering O Quinn.
What a sad day; our city has lost a truly generous benefactor and business titan. Mr. O Quinn was also a gentleman in the finest southern tradition. May God comfort his relatives and closest friends, one khou.com reader wrote.
He made a lot of friends, more enemies, and even more money- a Houston legend is lost in what appears to be a very unremarkable incident. My best wishes to his family. He did donate more than his fair share back to the community- no matter how you thought of his methods in obtaining the funds, another khou.com reader wrote.
Cutliff was also being mourned at the O'Quinn Law Firm downtown. He had worked for O'Quinn as a driver and assistant for 26 years.
I want to remind everyone that there's two peole who died here today and we miss Mr. Cutliff greatly, said Christian Steed with the O'Quinn Law Firm. He was great friends with everyone in the law firm and treated everyone with respect, and we grieve with his family for that loss.
O Quinn, founder of the firm, made a name for himself handling plaintiff s litigation, including lawsuits against breast implant manufacturers and tobacco companies.
More recently, he represented Anna Nicole Smith s mother, Virgie Arthur, in a battle over the fate of the body of the late actress.
