Dallas, TX — December 22, 2025, Carlos Steele was killed in a truck accident at about 6:40 a.m. in the 100 block of Regal Row.

A preliminary accident report indicates that an eastbound 2015 Volvo semi-truck was turning out of a private driveway when it was hit by a southbound 2019 Buick Encore.

Buick driver Carlos Steele, 54, died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to the report.

The truck driver was not injured, the report states.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear about a crash like this, where an SUV hits a semi-truck turning out of a driveway, the first thing they often wonder is, “How did this happen?” After all, it's not obvious at a glance who's responsible. Was the SUV speeding? Did the truck driver fail to yield? Was visibility poor? The current reports don’t tell us, and until someone gets answers to those questions, any assumptions are just guesses.

The basic facts say a semi-truck was pulling out of a private driveway onto Regal Row when it was struck by a southbound SUV. That leaves a key detail unresolved: Did the truck pull into the SUV’s path, or did the SUV fail to slow down for a clearly visible truck? Depending on the answer, the responsibility could shift significantly.

In these situations, the most direct path to the truth is through the evidence; specifically, technology that’s often available in modern commercial trucks. The truck’s ECM (engine control module) may have recorded how fast it was going, whether it was accelerating or stopped and how long it had been in the roadway before impact. Dash cams, if installed, could show exactly what the driver saw and did. And cell phone records can clarify whether the truck driver might have been distracted at the time.

Another crucial question is how much the truck driver could see before entering the roadway. Private driveways, especially those leading onto busy commercial roads, often have poor sightlines. If a fence, parked vehicles or even early morning glare limited the trucker’s view, that could affect whether the turn was made safely. And if the driver’s training didn’t cover how to handle that kind of situation, the company that put them behind the wheel may share responsibility.

I’ve handled plenty of cases where truck drivers made turns assuming oncoming drivers would slow down or stop, and sometimes they do. But when they don’t, and someone ends up dead, the question becomes: Was that turn one a reasonably careful driver should have made at all? That’s not something the police report alone can always answer. It takes a thorough investigation that goes well beyond the crash scene.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s not yet clear whether the truck driver failed to yield or the SUV driver couldn’t avoid the truck.
• The truck’s black box, dash cam footage and cell phone records are key to understanding what happened.
• Visibility from the private driveway and the driver's training are critical factors in assessing fault.
• A full investigation should include not just what happened at the moment of impact, but also the company’s role in preparing the driver.
• Premature conclusions help no one. Accountability requires hard evidence, not assumptions.