Bridge City, TX — January 13, 2025, Andre Calmelet was killed and another person was injured in a car accident at around 9:30 p.m. along F.M. 1442.

According to authorities, 43-year-old Andre Calmelet was traveling in an eastbound Ford F-150 pickup truck on Farm to Market 1442 when the accident took place.

The cause of the accident remains unclear. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a collision took place between the front-end of the pickup truck and the rear-end of a Tesla occupied by a 38-year-old man. Following the impact, the Tesla came to a stop in a roadside ditching on the south side of the road. The pickup apparently overturned over the course of the accident, coming to a stop resting on its left side in the ditch on the north side of the road.

Calmelet suffered fatal injuries due to the wreck and was declared deceased at the scene. The man from the Tesla sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When accidents result in a fatality and injuries, it is critical to conduct a thorough investigation to determine how and why the crash occurred. In my experience, understanding the factors behind a collision like this requires careful attention to three key questions.

First, did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? A collision involving a pickup truck and a Tesla, followed by the vehicles ending up in roadside ditches, raises numerous questions that require detailed analysis. Investigators should examine physical evidence such as tire marks, damage patterns, and the vehicles’ final positions to reconstruct the sequence of events. Witness accounts and any available footage from nearby cameras or dashcams could help clarify the movements of both vehicles leading up to the crash, including speed, positioning, and whether external factors like road conditions contributed.

Second, has anyone considered whether a vehicle defect might have played a role? Mechanical failures, such as brake malfunctions or steering issues, could explain why one vehicle may have failed to avoid the collision. Additionally, examining the Tesla’s advanced safety systems, such as collision avoidance technology, is essential to determine whether they were functioning properly. The Ford F-150 should also be inspected for any issues that could have contributed to the collision or its severity, such as potential airbag deployment concerns or structural failures during the rollover.

Finally, has all relevant electronic data been collected? Modern vehicles like the Tesla and the Ford F-150 are equipped with event data recorders (EDRs) that can provide critical insights into speed, braking, and steering inputs leading up to the collision. The Tesla, in particular, may also have detailed logs from its advanced driver-assistance systems that could shed light on the vehicle’s behavior before and during the crash. Promptly securing this evidence is vital to preserve key details that might otherwise be lost.

Accidents involving high-impact collisions and vehicle rollovers are often complex, requiring thorough investigation to uncover all contributing factors. By addressing these questions, investigators can work toward providing a clearer understanding of what happened and why. For the loved ones of Andre Calmelet and for those recovering from injuries, obtaining these answers is a necessary step toward understanding and closure. A comprehensive investigation is the least that can be done to ensure every possible factor is carefully examined.