Franklin County, TX — December 2, 2025, Curtis Blankenship was injured in a single-vehicle accident at about 10:10 p.m. on F.M. 2723 southwest of Hopewell.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2022 Ram 1500 was heading south near County Road SE 4250 when it left the road and crashed into a tree.

Driver Curtis Blankenship, 33, was seriously injured in the crash, according to the report.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When serious accidents happen late at night on quiet stretches of road, the reasons behind them aren't always as clear as they seem. It’s tempting to think a driver simply lost control, but the truth is often more complicated. Some of the most critical facts can be the ones no one thinks to look for.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? With a single-vehicle crash like this one, it’s important investigators didn’t treat it as open-and-shut. The best crash reconstructions start with detailed scene analysis: laser measurements, roadway evidence and a careful look at what happened in the seconds leading up to the impact. Not all departments have the training or tools to do this kind of work well. That’s a problem, because if assumptions were made too quickly, key pieces of the puzzle may have been missed entirely.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? When a newer truck veers off the road and hits a tree, it raises the question of whether something went wrong inside the vehicle. A hidden issue — like power steering failure, braking trouble or a faulty sensor — can cause a driver to lose control with little warning. Unless a qualified team inspected the truck after the crash, it’s entirely possible that mechanical failure played a role and went unnoticed.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern trucks like the one involved typically store a wealth of crash data. Information from the vehicle’s computer system can reveal speed, steering input and whether any warnings appeared before the crash. If paired with GPS or cell phone data, this can help confirm whether distraction, fatigue or a sudden malfunction was involved. But if no one pulled that data promptly, it may be gone for good.

Unraveling the full story behind a crash means asking more than just what happened; it means asking why. That answer often sits just out of sight, waiting for someone to dig a little deeper.

Key Takeaways:

• Not all investigators have the tools to fully analyze a single-vehicle crash.
• Mechanical failures in newer trucks can cause sudden loss of control.
• Vehicle data can offer key clues, but only if it’s collected in time.