Edinburg, TX — April 3, 2025, one person was injured following a car accident that occurred at around 7:00 A.M. on Canton Road.

An investigation is underway following a car accident that left one person injured during the morning hours of April 3rd. According to official reports, a female pedestrian was at the intersection of Canton Rd and McColl Rd. when for unknown reasons she was struck by a Department of Public Safety vehicle.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found that the pedestrian had sustained injuries and she was transported to the hospital for treatment. At this time there has been no further information released from the accident, including how the accident occurred or the the status of the pedestrian, however this remains an ongoing investigation and more details may be released by authorities in the future.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a pedestrian is struck by a law enforcement vehicle—particularly in a setting as controlled as an intersection—the incident warrants immediate and thorough scrutiny. The April 3rd crash at Canton Rd and McColl Rd., involving a Department of Public Safety vehicle, presents serious concerns and must be approached through the lens of three fundamental investigative questions: (1) Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? (2) Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused or contributed to the incident? (3) Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?

While initial reports confirm that the pedestrian was injured and transported to the hospital, they offer no explanation as to how the crash occurred. That gap in information makes it all the more vital to secure and evaluate surveillance footage, witness accounts, and physical evidence at the scene—such as braking distance, vehicle trajectory, and line-of-sight conditions. Given that a government-operated vehicle was involved, transparency in the investigative process is essential to maintaining public trust.

In addition to external factors, a mechanical review of the Department of Public Safety vehicle is a necessary step. A failure in the braking system, steering components, or onboard driver-assistance technologies—especially in a vehicle that may be subjected to frequent and rigorous use—could contribute to an inability to avoid a pedestrian. Even if no malfunction is immediately evident, a forensic inspection should be conducted to rule out any vehicle-related cause.

Finally, electronic control modules (ECMs) can provide a precise record of what the vehicle was doing in the moments before the impact. This includes speed, throttle position, braking force, and steering input. For a vehicle operated by a public agency, securing this data is critical for determining whether the vehicle was being operated appropriately and whether it responded properly to driver inputs. This data is time-sensitive and should be preserved before it is overwritten or lost.

Until these three questions are fully answered, the full picture of what caused this collision remains incomplete. A thorough investigation—grounded in physical evidence, mechanical assessment, and electronic data—is essential for understanding the factors that contributed to this incident, and for ensuring that lessons are learned to prevent similar events in the future.