Veteran Awarded $47 Million After Truck Collision

A Rio Arriba County jury has awarded $47 million in damages to a military veteran who was left incapacitated after a head-on collision with a commercial tanker truck nearly four years ago. The verdict, delivered Friday in a Tierra Amarilla courtroom, is believed to be one of the largest jury awards in a non-fatal commercial truck crash in New Mexico history.

Austin Drewry was 21 years old when the collision occurred in November 2022, resulting in catastrophic brain injuries and severe damage to his spinal cord, bones, and internal organs. He is now bedridden, unable to communicate, and requires constant care.

Drewry, a veteran of the Louisiana National Guard and an oilfield worker at the time, was driving eastbound on New Mexico 128 near Carlsbad on a foggy night. The commercial tanker truck, driven by an employee of Pilot Thomas Logistics LLC, was traveling westbound and collided head-on with Drewry's vehicle. The truck driver was not a defendant in the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit filed by Drewry's mother, Crystal, and his court-appointed co-conservator in 2024, the truck driver was traveling too fast for the foggy conditions and failed to react in time to avoid the collision. Deposition transcripts indicated the driver was exceeding the 55 mph speed limit and had prior speeding violations. The driver was later dismissed as a party to the case by Judge Francis Mathew.

James Tawney, lead attorney for Drewry and his mother, stated that the crash could have been prevented if the truck driver had reduced speed, braked sooner, or pulled over due to the poor visibility. Tawney noted that split seconds of difference could have averted the tragedy.

Attorneys for Pilot Thomas Logistics and its subsidiary, Maxum Petroleum Operating Co., had initially offered a settlement of $100,000 before the trial, an offer rejected by the plaintiffs. They pursued a verdict that they believed accurately reflected the lifelong care Drewry would require.

Drewry's injuries required him to be rushed from Carlsbad Medical Center to a trauma center in El Paso, Texas. In 2023, he experienced two life-threatening medical emergencies. He remains unable to function independently, according to Tawney.

Crystal Drewry, who has become her son's full-time caregiver, expressed that the $47 million verdict provides a measure of justice and will ensure Austin receives the necessary care and resources, even after she is gone. "He will be taken care of even when I’m gone," she said. "So, he’s getting a chance to live."

Tawney described the verdict as "justice for Austin and his mother," emphasizing its message about the value of human life and the consequences of preventable tragedies.