Wilson County, TX — May 24, 2024, Dawn Pratt was injured due to a car accident just after 8:30 in the morning along U.S. Highway 181.

According to authorities, 44-year-old Dawn Pratt was traveling in a northbound Nissan Versa on U.S. Highway 181 at the Creekview Drive intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a westbound Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck entered the intersection at an unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign. A collision consequently occurred between the front-end of the Versa and the front-left quarter of the pickup truck. The collision caused the Versa to overturn, coming to a stop in the median resting on its roof.

Pratt reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. EMS transported her to an area medical facility so that she could receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a vehicle overturns after a collision at a rural intersection, there’s often more at play than just a missed stop. A failure to yield can trigger a crash, but understanding why it happened—and whether it could have been prevented—requires a closer look.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
If the pickup driver failed to yield at a stop sign, the key question is whether the crash was due to distraction, misjudgment, or something else entirely. Did investigators analyze the timing of the vehicles’ approach to the intersection? Were skid marks documented to show if either driver attempted to brake or swerve? The Versa’s rollover also suggests significant force, which warrants a full reconstruction to determine how the impact unfolded. Without that level of analysis, the investigation might miss what truly caused the crash.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
A stop sign violation may seem straightforward, but if the pickup truck had a brake failure or steering issue, it could have entered the intersection unintentionally. Likewise, if the Versa’s stability or rollover protection systems malfunctioned during the crash, that might have worsened the outcome. These questions often go unasked unless someone calls for a detailed inspection of both vehicles.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
Both the Versa and the Ram 1500 likely contain onboard data that can clarify pre-crash speeds, braking activity, and steering input. This data can help determine whether either driver attempted to avoid the crash—and whether vehicle systems responded as they should have. If no one pulled that data early, that evidence may no longer be recoverable, leaving critical parts of the story untold.

Crashes involving overturned vehicles at stop-controlled intersections should never be written off as routine. Getting to the root of what happened takes more than pointing to a stop sign—it requires digging into the facts that most people overlook.

• Stop sign violations still require full crash reconstruction to clarify cause and response.
• Mechanical failures in either vehicle can contribute to a crash and must be ruled out.
• Black box data is key to understanding how both vehicles performed just before impact.