Katy, TX — July 20, 2025, Austin Spencer was injured in a truck accident at about 2:55 a.m. on North Westgreen Boulevard.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a northbound 2017 Lincoln MKZ crashed into the back of a 2017 Freightliner Cascadia semi-truck that was turning onto Park Row Boulevard.

Lincoln driver Austin Spencer, 32, was seriously injured in the crash north of Interstate 10/Katy Tollway, according to the report.

The truck driver was not hurt, the report states.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Harris County crash at this time.

Commentary

When people hear about a crash where a car rear-ends a semi-truck, the assumption is often that the smaller vehicle’s driver must be at fault. But from a legal perspective, that assumption doesn’t always hold up. To really understand who’s responsible, we have to look closely at how the truck was positioned, what the lighting and visibility were like and whether the truck driver gave other drivers a fair chance to avoid a collision.

In this case, reports say the semi-truck was turning onto Park Row Boulevard when the northbound Lincoln ran into the back of its trailer. That raises immediate questions: Was the truck fully in its turn, or was it blocking the lane? Was it stopped in the roadway waiting to turn, or did it swing wide across several lanes? And perhaps most importantly at 2:55 a.m., how visible was it?

Many trailers, especially in low light, are harder to see than most people realize. If the trailer had faded reflectors, broken tail lights or was parked across the road during the turn, it may have created a dangerous situation where even a careful driver wouldn’t have had time to stop. I’ve handled cases where a trailer blocked the road like a wall with barely any visible markings, and the driver behind had no chance to avoid it.

This also leads to questions about evidence. What does the truck’s black box (ECM) say about the turn: its timing, speed and braking? Are there dash cams or in-cab cameras that captured the truck’s position in the roadway? And what about the truck driver’s cell phone records: was the driver distracted at the time?

It’s not yet clear whether the Lincoln driver had any opportunity to avoid the crash, but that’s exactly why a thorough investigation is necessary. Relying only on the surface facts — like “he rear-ended the truck” — misses the real work of understanding how and why this happened.

Key Takeaways:

• A rear-end collision with a turning truck isn’t automatically the car driver’s fault. Visibility and truck positioning matter.
• Investigators need to examine whether the semi-truck was clearly marked and properly lit during the turn.
• Black box data, dash cams and driver cell phone records will be key in determining what really happened.
• The time of day (nearly 3 a.m.) adds urgency to questions about visibility and driver awareness.
• A full investigation, not assumptions, is the only path to real accountability.