Glasscock County, TX — February 17, 2026, Edgar Barraza was killed and Felipe Trejo was injured in a truck accident at about 6 p.m. on State Highway 158.

Authorities said a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado was heading west near mile marker 314 when it collided with the trailer of a 2001 Kenworth semi-truck that was turning left onto a lease road. The pickup caught fire after the collision.

Chevrolet driver Edgar Abdon Barraza, 28, of Midland was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

The truck driver, 56-year-old Laredo resident Felipe Trejo, was hospitalized with serious injuries, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Glasscock County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people read about a crash like this, the first questions that come to mind are simple: How does a pickup truck end up hitting the side of a semi-trailer? Who had the right of way? And are we getting the full story?

Details are limited at this time, leaving several important unanswered questions.

Left turns are one of the most dangerous maneuvers a commercial truck can make, especially on a highway. A fully loaded 18-wheeler needs time and space to clear both lanes. It’s not clear how long the truck had been slowing or whether it had already begun crossing the westbound lane when the pickup approached. We don’t yet know whether the pickup driver had a clear and unobstructed view of the turning trailer, or whether lighting and visibility played a role at 6 p.m. in February.

Depending on when the truck began its turn, different legal questions arise. If the semi turned when the pickup was too close to safely yield, that raises concerns about judgment and right-of-way. On the other hand, if the truck had been signaling and turning well in advance, investigators will need to determine why the pickup was unable to slow or stop in time.

Those answers won’t come from assumptions. They’ll come from evidence.

The truck’s engine control module should show speed, braking, throttle position and other inputs in the moments before impact. That data can reveal whether the truck slowed appropriately before initiating the turn. If the truck was equipped with forward-facing or in-cab cameras, those could show when the turn signal was activated and how close the pickup was at that moment.

Cell phone records may also matter. It’s not clear whether either driver was distracted, but that question should be answered with records, not speculation.

There are also company-level questions that shouldn’t be overlooked. What training did the truck driver receive regarding left turns across oncoming traffic? What policies govern access to lease roads along highways like SH 158? Was the route planned in a way that required risky crossings of active traffic lanes? In past cases I’ve handled, crashes that looked like simple “failure to yield” situations turned out to involve deeper issues: poor training, unrealistic delivery schedules or inadequate oversight.

None of this assumes fault. The crash is still under investigation, and the limited public information leaves gaps. But serious truck collisions are rarely explained by a single sentence in a preliminary report. It takes a thorough, independent investigation to determine not just what happened, but why.

Until investigators review the physical evidence, electronic data and company records, we simply don’t know whether this was a misjudged turn, a visibility issue, a distraction problem or some combination of factors. The truth is in the data.

Key Takeaways

• Left turns by 18-wheelers across oncoming traffic create high-risk situations that require careful timing and visibility.
• It’s not yet clear whether the semi-truck had safely begun its turn or whether the pickup was too close to avoid the collision.
• Black box data, dash cams, and cell phone records will be critical to understanding speed, braking and driver attention.
• Company training, routing decisions and oversight may also play a role in determining responsibility.
• A full investigation, not assumptions, will determine who, if anyone, failed to exercise proper judgment.