{"id":144448,"date":"2025-08-14T06:55:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T06:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/144448\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T06:55:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T06:55:22","slug":"grieving-san-antonio-family-sues-att-over-fatal-cable-accident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/144448\/","title":{"rendered":"Grieving San Antonio family sues AT&T over fatal cable accident"},"content":{"rendered":"

A San Antonio family is suing AT&T and contractors after a low-hanging cable killed Glenda Roth outside her home, urging changes to prevent future tragedies.<\/p>\n

SAN ANTONIO \u2014 A San Antonio family is suing AT&T and two of its contractors after they say a dangerously low-hanging fiber optic cable killed a wife and mother outside her home<\/a> \u2014 and that it could happen again if changes aren\u2019t made.<\/p>\n

On May 2, Glenda Roth was doing yard work outside her home on Oak Ledge Drive \u2014 a quiet, curved street near Nacogdoches Road and Loop 410 \u2014 when a passing Haul-Brooke dumpster truck hit the utility cable.<\/p>\n

In an instant, her husband, William \u201cBill\u201d Roth said the line snapped and turned into a deadly whip.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was weed-eating the front walkway,\u201d Bill said. \u201cShe was to my right, about 12 feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill recalled hearing the truck before he saw it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of a sudden, I saw the line that ripped from the telephone pole come across the top of the dumpster truck and in mid-air, in a split-second came over to my side of the road,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The recoiling cable, owned by AT&T and maintained by Quest Utility Construction, struck Glenda in the head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look over to the right of me and there\u2019s Glenda on the ground with her arms out, almost like on a cross,\u201d Bill said.<\/p>\n


\n \"\"<\/p>\n

Glenda was rushed to Brooke Army Medical Center, where neurosurgeons performed surgery to relieve pressure on her brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the top surgeons in the country was up there\u2026 So she had the best care possible,\u201d Bill said. \u201cSeeing your wife, the love of your life, down there on the ground barely alive\u2026 It just won\u2019t go away, probably never will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Twelve days later, on May 15, Glenda died. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled her cause of death blunt force injury to the head.<\/p>\n

Bill said AT&T crews had been at their home before Easter to work on the internet and he alerted workers about the same utility line. His attorneys found the wire had been hanging well below the height required by the National Electrical Safety Code.<\/p>\n


\n\u2018Predictable and preventable\u2019 <\/p>\n

The Crosley Law Firm<\/a>, which represents the Roth family, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against AT&T, Quest Utility Construction and Haul-Brooke.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was predictable. This was foreseeable. If these companies had followed the regulations, Glenda would be here today,\u201d said Brennen Jenkins, attorney for the Roth family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are investigating whether or not this was part of a broader pattern of negligent infrastructure maintenance,\u201d Jenkins added. \u201cAll these companies had a role in creating or ignoring these dangerous conditions that led to Glenda\u2019s passing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jenkins said the family\u2019s goal is to prevent another tragedy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis information might help prevent another tragedy. It might also help us hold these corporations accountable in this incident as well,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reports that come into our office, we\u2019re going to investigate each one\u2026 How can these companies do a better job at keeping the public safe?\u201d<\/p>\n

They’re pushing more more than $1 million in compensation.<\/p>\n


\nA call to the public <\/p>\n

Glenda\u2019s daughter, Caroline Weeks, said the loss has been devastating \u2014 and preventable.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter her death, it was very obvious to us that it could have been avoidable,\u201d Weeks said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just a singular situation. There could possibly be hazardous, low-hanging cables elsewhere\u2026 We hope it incites true change so this doesn\u2019t happen to anyone else and their family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weeks described her mother as \u201cwalking sunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust the most kind-hearted, generous, intentional, vibrant woman ever,\u201d Weeks said. \u201cShe had a way of making every single person she met feel special and important\u2026 Her energy was just contagious and she made life fun.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n \"\"<\/p>\n

The family is asking the public to report low-hanging or downed cables, along with photos or any related work orders.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you see a low-hanging cable, please think twice about it. Call someone. Be cautious. It\u2019s one of those things you may not think about but it can really change your life in an instant,\u201d Weeks said.<\/p>\n

For Bill, the silence at home is a constant reminder of his loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the part that\u2019s terrible. Anything these people can do to make sure this doesn\u2019t happen to somebody else \u2014 that\u2019s what we want to happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n


\n \"\"<\/p>\n

KENS 5 called Quest Utility Construction and Haul-Brooke, leaving messages and emails, but has not heard back. AT&T has also not yet responded to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

The Crosley Law Firm says tips from the public could play a critical role in identifying dangerous utility lines before they cause harm.<\/p>\n

In a press release, they wrote, “If you have seen or photographed:\u00a0<\/p>\n