Val Verde County, TX — September 13, 2024, Eliazar Oritz was injured in a single-car accident just before 7:45 p.m. along U.S. Highway 377.

According to authorities, 39-year-old Eliazar Ortiz was traveling in a southbound Ford F-150 pickup truck on U.S. 377 in the vicinity south of U.S. 277 when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, the pickup truck failed to safely maintain its lane of travel. It reportedly veered to the right before being overcorrected to the left, crossing over the northbound lane of the highway before leaving the road and entering a grassy area where it overturned. Ortiz suffered serious injuries over the course of the accident, according to reports. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary

When someone is seriously hurt in a crash like the one reported on U.S. Highway 377, it's critical that investigators and families alike ask the right questions to fully understand what happened. With over 30 years of experience helping injury victims across Texas, I’ve learned that initial reports often don’t tell the full story, and careful investigation is essential to uncover the truth.

One of the first questions that must be asked is whether authorities conducted a thorough investigation at the scene. Single-vehicle accidents are too often assumed to be the driver’s fault without a deeper look into the circumstances. It's important to know if officers carefully examined the roadway, checked for mechanical failures, gathered witness statements, and properly documented all physical evidence to determine if outside factors contributed to the crash.

Another important question is whether the vehicle itself had any defects or mechanical issues that could have contributed to the loss of control. Pickups like the Ford F-150 are popular and generally reliable, but no vehicle is immune to defects. Problems with steering, suspension, brakes, or even tire blowouts can easily cause a driver to lose control through no fault of their own. A close inspection of the vehicle after a crash can sometimes reveal these issues—but only if someone makes sure it gets done.

Finally, it’s vital to find out if all available electronic data from the truck has been collected and analyzed. Many modern vehicles store critical information about speed, braking, steering input, and other vehicle actions in the seconds before a crash. This data can be essential to understanding whether the driver was reacting to something unexpected or if the crash unfolded differently than it first appears.

Answering these three questions is critical to making sure that no stone is left unturned in understanding the causes of a crash like this. Serious wrecks deserve serious investigation, not assumptions. Getting clear answers to these questions is crucial for those seeking to understand what happened and why—and it's the least that can be done to help those affected find the clarity and closure they deserve.