Winkler County, TX — March 31, 2024, Andrea Burkhalter and Noel Rodriguez were killed in a truck accident just after 1:00 p.m. along State Highway 18.

According to authorities, 18-year-olds Andrea Burkhalter and Noel Rodriguez were traveling in a northbound Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck on S.H. 18 at the Farm to Market 874 intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a westbound 18-wheeler truck and trailer on F.M. 874 failed to stop at the stop sign, entering the intersection at an unsafe time. This resulted in a collision between the left side of the 18-wheeler and the front-end of the Silverado. The 18-wheeler reportedly overturned during the course of the accident, the trailer becoming disconnected. The 18-wheeler came to a stop resting on its right side, while the trailer came to a stop resting on its left side. The trailer was completely blocking the westbound lane of F.M. 874. The pickup truck went into a side skid, coming to rest facing southwest in the westbound lane of F.M. 874 and partially blocking the eastbound lane just west of the overturned trailer.

Both Burkhalter and Rodriguez died as a result of the wreck. The lone occupant of the 18-wheeler, a 47-year-old man, apparently suffered moderate injuries, as well. He was transported by EMS in order to receive 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

Most people don't realize it, but truck accident cases are all about establishing negligence. The driver’s failure to obey the stop sign is obvious. Unfortunately for those who lose loved ones in truck accidents, the law doesn't deal in obvious. Instead, in order to hold the wrong-doer accountable, it's necessary to prove they behaved negligently. This requires evidence.

What's more, it's important not to get tunnel vision when looking at the driver's actions. Most drivers work for someone else, which means they have to abide by their employer's rules. I've litigated enough truck accident cases over the years to know that companies who hire, train, and supervise great drivers and put safety first rarely find themselves involved in serious accidents. In most serious truck accident cases, no matter how obvious the driver's blunder, if you look beyond the crash scene you're likely to find someone or some policy that contributed to the crash. It could be incentives that encourage drivers to get the job done on time, safety be damned. It could be inadequate screening of new drivers or poor training. The point is, I suspect if someone digs a little deeper, they'll find something that wasn't being done exactly how it should have been.

I don't want to give the impression that I know any more about this particular crash than what's available to the general public. With that being said, my experience with similar cases tells me that until an investigation into not only the accident, but also the trucking company takes place, no one will have all the answers about how this crash occurred and who all are to blame.