Midlothian, TX — November 6, 2025, Cole Castilaw was killed in a car accident just before 7 p.m. on U.S. Highway 287.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan hit a pedestrian while heading northwest toward West Main Street/Old Fort Worth Road.

The pedestrian, 27-year-old Cole Allen Castilaw, died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to the report.

Cole Castilaw had been involved in another accident about an hour earlier, when his southbound 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz rear-ended a 2024 Subaru Outback, according to the other crash report. Neither driver was injured in the collision.

The Volkswagen driver was not hurt in the crash that killed Cole Castilaw, the report states.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

After a serious crash, early reports often leave more questions than answers. What matters most is whether anyone took the time to slow down, look deeper and make sure nothing important was missed. These cases are rarely as simple as they first appear, especially when events unfold over a short window of time.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? One of the first things to ask is how detailed the scene work really was. A basic walk-through and a few photos may not be enough in a complex situation involving a pedestrian. A careful investigation should look at vehicle paths, timing and what the driver was doing in the moments leading up to impact. That kind of work often requires specialized training and extra time at the scene. Some investigators have that background, while others may not. If the review stopped at a preliminary report, important details could have been left unexplored.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, mechanical questions should not be brushed aside. Issues like delayed braking, sensor failures or warning systems that did not activate can play a role, even when there is no obvious damage pointing to a defect. Modern vehicles rely on technology to assist drivers, and those systems need to be checked. Without a full mechanical inspection, it is hard to know whether the vehicle performed the way it was supposed to.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Today’s vehicles record far more than most people realize. Speed, braking input, steering and driver alerts may all be stored in onboard systems. Phone records, navigation data and nearby camera footage can also help confirm what was happening just before the collision. Gathering this data early is critical, because it can disappear or be overwritten. If no one secured it right away, a clear picture of the moments before impact may be lost.

When someone loses their life, the value of asking deeper questions cannot be overstated. Careful investigation, mechanical review and data collection are not about placing blame too quickly. They are about making sure the full story is understood, rather than settling for the easiest explanation.

Key takeaways:

• A quick, surface-level investigation can miss important facts.
• Vehicle systems and possible defects deserve close attention.
• Electronic data often holds answers that eyewitnesses cannot provide.