Ellis County, TX — November 28, 2025, Donna Nagus was injured in an alleged drunk driver accident at about 1:10 a.m. on Interstate 35E.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2019 Audi Q5 collided with a 2022 Honda CR-V north of Italy, causing the SUV to overturn.

Honda passenger Donna Nagus, 87, of Rockford, IL was seriously injured in the crash, according to the report. Driver Mark Nagus, 57, suffered minor injuries.

The Audi driver, who was not injured, was charged with intoxication assault after the crash, the report states.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people are seriously hurt in a crash, especially under circumstances suggesting impaired driving, the questions that follow are rarely simple. Even when one cause seems obvious, the full story often takes shape only through a careful look at everything that might have gone wrong. That’s why digging deeper into how the crash happened, and what’s been done since, matters so much.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? Given that charges were filed for intoxication assault, it's likely that officers conducted field sobriety tests or toxicology screening. But did they also go beyond that? For a crash that caused a vehicle to overturn and left someone with serious injuries, it’s critical that investigators did more than just review the scene. A proper response would involve reconstructing how the crash unfolded, documenting vehicle positions with precise tools like laser mapping and analyzing whether either driver attempted to avoid the crash. The time of night might complicate visibility, but that only underscores the need for a methodical investigation; something that varies widely depending on the experience of the responding agency.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? When one vehicle rolls over, there’s reason to look closer at its condition, even when another driver is blamed. Did the Honda CR-V have any stability control issues or suspension problems that made it more likely to overturn? Mechanical systems can fail in ways that don’t leave obvious signs, especially after a violent impact. Without a detailed inspection of the vehicle’s components, assumptions about what caused the rollover may miss key facts. Even if impairment played a role, it doesn’t rule out the chance that a mechanical flaw added to the severity of the crash.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Today’s vehicles carry valuable data about how they were being driven moments before a crash: speed, braking, steering, even seatbelt use. If investigators accessed that information from both vehicles, it could confirm or challenge initial assumptions. For example, was there any attempt to brake before impact? Was either vehicle accelerating unusually fast? Alongside that, GPS data or cell phone activity might offer further context. Collecting this kind of information takes time and technical resources, but it's essential when injuries are this serious.

The point here isn't to second-guess but to make sure all questions get their due. When lives are upended in a crash, it’s not enough to point to the most obvious explanation. A full understanding comes from following every lead, even those that might seem less likely at first glance.

Key Takeaways:

• A thorough crash investigation goes beyond the basics, especially when someone’s seriously hurt.
• Even when a driver is accused of wrongdoing, vehicle defects still need to be ruled out.
• Electronic data from the cars and phones involved can offer key insights into what really happened.