Houston, TX — June 10, 2025, Elmer Lopez was killed and two others were injured in a truck accident at about 3:05 a.m. on U.S. Route 59/Eastex Freeway.

Authorities said a northbound Cadillac CT4 hit a concrete divider on the exit ramp for Interstate 10, turning it back into oncoming traffic where it crashed into a Volvo semi-truck.

Cadillac driver Elmer Velasquez Lopez, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

A 19-year-old woman and a 4-year-old girl were transported to a local hospital with unspecified injuries after the crash, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Harris County crash.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that a car hit a barrier and then collided with a semi-truck, their first question is likely: “How did things go so wrong, so fast?” That’s especially true here, since the crash happened at 3 a.m., a time when traffic is usually light. The police say a Cadillac hit a concrete divider on an exit ramp and bounced back into traffic, where it was hit by a northbound 18-wheeler. But they haven’t explained what caused the Cadillac to hit the barrier in the first place. And they haven’t clarified what, if anything, the truck driver could have done to avoid the collision.

Those aren’t small details. They go to the heart of understanding whether this was an unavoidable chain reaction or whether someone made a mistake that turned dangerous.

Was the Cadillac speeding? Did its driver swerve to avoid something in the road? Was he impaired or distracted? Those questions matter, but so do questions about the truck. Was it traveling at a safe speed for the area? Did the driver see the car in time to brake or swerve? Did the truck’s dash cam or engine control module (ECM) record what happened in those crucial seconds?

We don’t yet know if the semi-truck was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or if it could have stopped or maneuvered differently to avoid the crash. Depending on the truck’s speed, load weight and following distance, its options might have been limited, or the driver might have made a critical misjudgment.

I’ve handled enough cases like this to know that initial reports often miss important details. I've seen situations where a crash seemed inevitable, only to learn that a truck driver had a history of unsafe driving or was on the road despite being unqualified. I’ve also seen cases where the commercial carrier cut corners on training, or where ECM data revealed a very different picture than what was assumed at first glance.

At the end of the day, these questions can’t be answered by assumptions. They require a full investigation: pulling cell phone records, black box data, dash cam footage and the driver’s history. Without that, we’re only guessing.

Key Takeaways:

• Authorities haven’t explained what caused the Cadillac to hit the barrier or what the semi-truck driver did just before impact.
• Depending on whether the truck had time to react, different legal questions come into play.
• Truck ECM and dash cam data could clarify whether the collision was avoidable.
• A thorough investigation should also examine the truck driver’s history and company training practices.
• Getting to the truth requires more than the crash report; it takes evidence.