Colorado County, TX — June 18, 2024, one person was killed and Edward Walker III was injured due to a car accident just before 12:00 noon on U.S. Highway 90.

According to authorities, 73-year-old Edward Walker III was traveling in an eastbound Ford F-150 pickup truck on U.S. 90 in the vicinity east of Columbus when the accident took place. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a westbound Toyota Corolla occupied by a 47-year-old woman drifted left of center, entering the eastbound lane of the highway. A collision consequently occurred between the front-left of the Corolla and the front-left of the pickup truck.

The woman from the Corolla reportedly sustained fatal injuries over the course of the accident; Walker suffered serious injuries, as well, according to reports. He was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Head-on crashes on open highways are among the most severe types of collisions, and when they happen in broad daylight, they raise difficult questions. The key isn’t just who crossed the line, but why—and whether all the possible factors have been examined.

1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
When one vehicle drifts into an oncoming lane, it's easy to assume distraction or fatigue. But a good investigation doesn’t stop with surface-level conclusions. Was the crash mapped in detail? Did investigators reconstruct the paths of both vehicles to see how long the drift occurred and whether either driver reacted? A thorough analysis would also look into the physical condition of the road, vehicle positions, and timing of any evasive maneuvers. If that level of detail is missing, then key insights could be as well.

2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
A sudden swerve across the center line could be the result of more than just driver behavior. A tire blowout, steering failure, or braking malfunction could send a car off course with little warning. Especially in single-lane highways with no barrier, these issues can become deadly in seconds. Unless the Corolla was examined carefully by a qualified inspector, it's impossible to rule out that something mechanical contributed to the crash.

3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
With no surviving account from the westbound driver, electronic data may be the only way to understand what happened. Did the Corolla attempt to brake? Was there a steering correction before impact? Was the Ford already slowing or trying to swerve? These are the kinds of questions that can be answered through onboard diagnostics, GPS, or even traffic camera footage—if investigators made the effort to gather it in time.

Too often, crashes like this are chalked up to "driver error" without digging deeper. But if investigators don’t look closely at the vehicles, the data, and the crash scene itself, then the real story might never come out.

Takeaways:

• A full reconstruction is vital when a vehicle drifts into oncoming traffic without explanation.
• Mechanical issues should always be ruled out through detailed inspections, especially when a driver can’t speak for themselves.
• Onboard systems and digital evidence can often answer questions that witnesses or reports can’t.