Erath County, TX — January 17, 2025, Jaelen Green and Karen Huey were killed and Nicole Doggett was injured following a car accident at 3:00 p.m. on U.S. 281.

According to initial details released about the accident, it happened along both lanes of U.S. Highway 281.

Right now, exact details remain unconfirmed. It appears that 21-year-old Jaelen Green and 22-year-old Nicole Doggett were in a Cadillac going along the highway. 63-year-old Karen Huey was in an oncoming SUV. For reasons unclear, the SUV lost control, crossing paths and colliding with the Cadillac.

Due to the collision, both Jaelen Green and Karen Huey were killed. Doggett sustained serious injuries. Authorities have yet to release additional details about the accident.

Commentary

One of the most common mistakes I see after serious accidents like this is people assuming authorities will handle everything on their own. It's not that there are never departments willing to put in the time, effort, and resources needed to do a proper accident reconstruction. Instead, it's the fact victims and families may not realize the accident has been mishandled until weeks or months down the line. Experience has taught me that being proactive and asking some key questions helps to avoid this issue.

The first question to consider is whether authorities had the time, tools, and expertise to properly investigate the crash. Head-on collisions are often influenced by multiple factors, such as road hazards, environmental conditions, or sudden evasive actions. Did investigators take the time to examine the scene in detail, documenting skid marks, points of impact, or debris? Were factors like lighting, weather, and road layout considered? Without a thorough investigation, critical details that could explain the collision might be overlooked.

The second question is whether a vehicle defect could have played a role. Mechanical failures—such as brake malfunctions, steering problems, or a tire blowout—can cause a driver to lose control unexpectedly. Similarly, failures in safety systems, such as airbags that fail to deploy or seatbelts that don’t restrain properly, can make the consequences of a crash more severe. A detailed forensic examination of both vehicles is necessary to uncover potential defects and preserve important evidence.

Finally, it’s crucial to ask whether all electronic data and additional evidence have been secured. Vehicles today store vital information in their Engine Control Modules (ECMs), capturing details like speed, braking, and steering inputs in the moments before a crash. Other sources, like GPS logs, cellphone activity, or surveillance footage, can also provide valuable insights. Acting quickly to collect this evidence ensures that no important information is lost or overwritten.

If victims and families ask these questions and find the responses they get to be satisfactory, it's probably because authorities did good investigations. But if they find their doubts aren't being adequately addressed, they can take the steps to ensure independent investigators take another look so nothing important slips through the cracks.