Harris County, TX — July 21, 2024, Garrett Washington was injured due to a car accident shortly before 12:45 a.m. along Cullen Boulevard.

According to authorities, 51-year-old Garrett Washington was traveling in a southbound Pontiac Grand Prix on Cullen Boulevard at the Wenda Street intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a westbound Acura entered the intersection at an apparently unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign. A collision consequently occurred between the front-end of the Pontiac and the back-left quarter of the Acura.

Washington reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. He was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Crashes that happen just after midnight often raise questions about visibility, attention, and timing—but when someone ends up seriously hurt, the focus should shift from assumptions to facts. Especially at stop-sign-controlled intersections, there’s a real need to ask whether the crash was truly avoidable—and if all the right steps have been taken to find out.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
At a minimum, investigators should have reviewed vehicle positions, sight lines, and potential lighting conditions at the time of the crash. The key question here is: how far was the Pontiac from the intersection when the Acura began its turn? Without that information—along with speed estimates and any evidence of braking—it's hard to say whether either driver had a meaningful chance to avoid the impact. If the scene wasn't mapped out with precision, those details may still be missing.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
If the Acura pulled into traffic at the wrong time, the default assumption is human error. But it's just as possible that a mechanical or electronic issue influenced the timing. Problems with brakes, steering, or driver-assist systems could cause a delayed or misjudged entry into the intersection. On the Pontiac’s side, malfunctioning headlights or braking systems could have made avoidance harder. Unless both vehicles were inspected, key contributing factors may be left unexplored.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
Even in older models like the Grand Prix, some electronic data can still be retrieved—especially if paired with phone GPS records or dash cams. The Acura may also contain valuable telemetry: whether the driver stopped fully, how fast the vehicle accelerated, and what direction it was steering in the final seconds. Area surveillance or traffic cameras could also help clarify the sequence. If none of this data was pulled, the investigation may rely too much on assumptions and not enough on verifiable evidence.

When a driver suffers serious injuries after a nighttime crash, the only way to understand what happened is to go beyond the surface. Getting it right starts with asking whether everything—vehicle behavior included—was truly accounted for.

Takeaways:

• Stop-sign crashes at night require detailed analysis of speed, spacing, and lighting conditions.
• Mechanical failures in steering, braking, or driver-assist systems could alter a vehicle’s behavior.
• Vehicle data and external footage may clarify timing and driver decisions at the point of impact.