White County, TX — July 3, 2025, Daniel Hicks was killed in a truck accident at about 10:10 a.m. on State Highway 36.

Authorities said an eastbound 1994 Chevrolet collided with a westbound 2022 Freightliner semi-truck in rural White County.

Chevrolet driver Daniel Hicks, 60, of Judsonia died in the crash, according to authorities.

No other injuries were reported.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the White County crash.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear about a crash like this, where a pickup and an 18-wheeler collide head-on, they naturally want to know how such a thing could happen. A highway like State 36 in rural White County isn’t known for bumper-to-bumper traffic. That raises a key question: how did two vehicles traveling in opposite directions end up in the same lane?

At this point, the limited information available doesn’t tell us who crossed over the center line, or why. But that’s exactly the kind of detail that matters most. If the semi-truck veered into oncoming traffic, investigators need to find out whether the driver was distracted, drowsy or even experiencing a mechanical failure. Was the driver using a cell phone? Did the truck have in-cab cameras or a lane-departure warning system? What does the engine control module, the truck’s black box, say about steering input, braking or speed just before the collision?

On the other hand, if the pickup crossed the center line, different questions come into play. Could the driver have swerved to avoid something? Was a medical issue involved? Did road conditions contribute? Right now, we simply don’t know.

From experience, I can say that answering these questions takes more than a police report and a few photos. It takes a deep dive into hard evidence: black box data, dash cams, phone records and more. It also means looking at the trucking company: how they hire, how they train and whether they have policies in place that might encourage risky driving behaviors.

I once litigated a case involving a truck driver who should never have been on the road, fired from multiple companies and hired after just a 20-minute road test. That wasn’t just a bad hire. It was a company policy problem. If something like that is at play here, it deserves just as much scrutiny as anything that happened on the highway that morning.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s still unclear who crossed the center line or why, and that’s the central issue in this crash.
• Investigators will need black box data, dash cam footage and driver phone records to get clear answers.
• If the semi-truck was at fault, company hiring and training policies may be relevant.
• A full investigation should consider both driver behavior and corporate responsibility.
• Determining accountability starts with gathering every piece of available evidence.