Few stories which have appeared in this newspaper recently have elicited the interest of our readers as the fatal two-vehicle accident which occurred in this city on Friday, May 29.

Judging from the number of comments and responses in our online edition, almost everyone has an opinion about the guilt or innocence of the driver of the 2005 Dodge Ram truck which collided with a 2003 Ford Escape in the 1500 block of North Washington Street, resulting in the death of a 72-year-old Skidmore resident and injuring his granddaughter.

Many also accuse the Beeville Police Department of a cover-up because the large pickup’s driver is the son of a local law enforcement officer, and that the Bee-Picayune will never print the “truth” about this accident.

Well, unlike others who are eager to rush to judgment, we still believe in the right to a fair trial, and one’s innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.

Also, unlike some of our brethren in the media, we don’t speculate on the outcome of an official investigation in our news stories. We interview investigators and review a law enforcement agency report before we go to print with stories about accidents, arrests and crime. And then we attribute the statements to those investigators or reports.

Otherwise, we could “burn” our sources and not be allowed to look over police blotters and sheriff’s reports, and officers would not be so eager to visit with our reporters about ongoing cases.

Our goal is get the community’s news first and get it right. If we have some facts wrong in a breaking news story, we will correct them, as we have with a few names, ages and other particulars about wrecks and other law enforcement matters.

In this case, we will defer to BPD Chief Joe Treviño, who not only said his department will send court summonses to the driver and passenger of the Dodge Ram truck for violating the state’s seat belt law; he added that he has contacted the DPS and requested a special state investigator be sent to Beeville to reconstruct the accident and try to determine the speed of the pickup when the crash occurred.

“Additional charges could be filed depending on the outcome of the investigation,” Treviño added.

That does not seem as if the BPD is neglecting or covering up this case.

What is quite evident in this horrible situation is that two families are going to be scarred forever by that day when their paths crossed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Nuncio and Gisler families.

As for the rest of you, just be patient. The facts will be revealed eventually.