Erath County, TX — December 13, 2025, Don Cox lost his life due to a car versus farm equipment accident at approximately 8:00 p.m. along F.M. 219.

According to authorities, 35-year-old Don Cox was traveling in a northwest bound Kia Niro on Farm to Market 219 just south of the County Road 319 intersection when the accident took place.

A northwest bound John Deere hauling farm equipment had apparently slowed in order to make a turn. Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, a collision occurred between the front-end of the Kia and the rear-end of the farm equipment.

Cox reportedly sustained fatal injuries as a result of the wreck. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a car strikes the rear of slow-moving farm equipment on a rural road and the driver loses their life, the first thought is often that they “just didn’t see it in time.” But a fatal rear-end collision like this raises more serious questions—especially about whether that driver was ever given a fair chance to avoid it.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
A collision involving agricultural machinery requires more than a routine crash report. Did investigators determine whether the farm equipment had proper rear lighting, reflectors, or a visible slow-moving vehicle emblem? Did they check how far back the Kia driver could realistically see the equipment given the lighting conditions and terrain? That level of detail matters—and if it wasn't gathered, the true chain of events might already be slipping away.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
If the Kia’s brakes, headlights, or forward-collision warning systems weren’t functioning properly, the driver might not have been able to stop in time—even if the equipment was visible. A system failure in adaptive cruise control, for instance, could delay braking altogether. Without a full mechanical and electronic inspection of the car, it’s impossible to know whether the crash was preventable from the driver's end.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
The Kia Niro likely captured pre-crash telemetry including speed, throttle, braking force, and driver-assist system activity. That data can clarify whether the driver attempted to slow down, and whether the vehicle responded as expected. It may also show whether the car’s systems detected the tractor—or failed to recognize it altogether. Preserving that data quickly is critical to understanding what really happened.

When someone dies in a rear-end crash involving farm equipment, the question isn’t just why they didn’t stop—it’s whether they even had the chance to. That’s not something we can guess. It’s something that has to be proven.

Takeaways:

• Crashes involving farm equipment must be closely examined for visibility, lighting, and turn-signal usage.
• Mechanical or electronic failures in the victim’s vehicle could have played a role and need to be ruled out.
• Vehicle telemetry can confirm whether the driver reacted—and whether the vehicle’s safety systems functioned properly.