Newton County, TX — January 15, 2025, James Reliford was killed and Centra Myers was injured following a car accident at around 6:45 p.m. along F.M. 1004.

According to officials, the incident took place in the area of the Farm-to Market 1004 and F.M. 3089 intersection, south of Kirbyville.

Investigators said that 55-year-old James Reliford was on a Kawasaki 4-wheeler traveling eastbound along F.M. 1004. 53-year-old Centra Myers was in a westbound Kia Sportage. Due to events not confirmed at this time, the two vehicles collided.

As a result of the accident, Reliford was killed. Myers had reportedly minor injuries. At this time, additional details are unavailable.

Commentary

With any serious accident, there are naturally concerns about what authorities are looking into, how they're going about the investigations, and whether or not their efforts are fairly representing the facts. Having listened to these concerns countless times throughout my career, I found there are some key questions people can ask to gauge the sort of details authorities are providing.

First, did investigators have the time, tools, and training to fully analyze the crash? Determining how and why a vehicle attempted a passing maneuver requires a detailed look at road conditions, visibility, and traffic flow. Did authorities document skid marks, debris, and signage? Were environmental factors like lighting or weather conditions considered? These things take time, and not every department is willing to divert resources long enough to ensure there are clear answers.

Second, could a vehicle defect have played a role? Mechanical failures, such as brake malfunctions or steering issues, could cause a vehicle to drift or make it difficult for a driver to regain control. Additionally, failures in safety systems—like airbags or seatbelts—can make crashes more deadly than they should be. These things can require extensive training and state-of-the-art tools to dig into, which authorities don't always have access to.

Finally, was all available electronic evidence collected? Both vehicles’ Engine Control Modules (ECMs) likely contain key data on speed, braking, and steering inputs leading up to the crash. Other sources, such as cellphone records, GPS data, or nearby surveillance footage, may help clarify what happened. Securing this evidence quickly is critical before valuable information is lost.

If authorities can provide clear, satisfactory answers to these questions, it's likely because they did good, thorough investigations. Otherwise, if their answers come up short, it helps families realize there should be a second set of eyes looking things over so nothing important slips through the cracks. How those questions might be addressed here remains to be seen.