Abel Ernesto Ponce Killed in Motorcycle Accident in Midland County, TX
Midland County, TX — October 1, 2023, Abel Ernesto Ponce was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident at around 8:30 p.m. on Loop 250.
Preliminary details released by authorities indicate that the crash happened in the area of Loop 250 and County Road 1150.
According to officials, 54-year-old Abel Ponce was on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle which was reportedly going eastbound along the Loop 250 service road. While doing so, it appears the motorcycle hit a dog in the road, lost control, and overturned. Ponce was thrown from the bike as a result.
Ultimately, Ponce succumbed to the injuries he sustained. There were no other vehicles or passengers mentioned by authorities.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Reading about this crash left me thinking about two things: how motorcyclists get the short end of the stick on our roads and how misconceptions about motorcyclists color crash investigations. Allow me to elaborate.
Something that I know from decades in my line of work is that contrary to how they're portrayed in the media, most motorcyclists are incredibly safe drivers. That's why it always frustrates me how often people see an accident like the one described here and immediately think, "He knew the risks he was taking by riding a motorcycle." Those folks simply don't consider that there are many factors riders have no control over.
This conventional wisdom may be wrong, but it only becomes a problem when investigators let conventional wisdom, rather than the evidence, dictate the course of their investigation. While I can't speak to this particular investigation, when my firm has uncovered mistakes in a crash investigation, it's usually because the investigator assumed some fact because it was probable in most crashes, not because the evidence in that crash led to that conclusion.
These issues are important because good crash investigations give families answers to the circumstances that led to their loved one's death. In many ways, the truth is the most important piece that allows families to come to terms with the horrific outcome of a crash.
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