Jacksonville, TX — March 11, 2025, Jeffery Bowden and another person were injured due to a single-car accident at about 11:00 p.m. along Rusk Street.

According to authorities, 39-year-old Jeffery Bowden and a 39-year-old woman were traveling in a westbound Ford F-150 pickup truck on Rusk Street (U.S. 79) in the vicinity east of the Loop 456 intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the pickup failed to safely maintain its lane of travel. It was consequently involved in a single-vehicle collision in which it apparently struck a tree. Both Bowden and the woman who had been behind the wheel of the Ford reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a vehicle crashes into a fixed object late at night with no other drivers involved, it's easy to treat the incident as open-and-shut. But the moment the focus shifts from the visible damage to the underlying cause, it becomes clear there’s usually more to uncover.

1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?

In a crash involving serious injuries, particularly at night, it's important to ask whether investigators had the tools and time to reconstruct what really happened. Did they chart the vehicle's movements, analyze skid marks, or account for speed and braking patterns? With two occupants injured, including the driver, there’s no immediate witness account to rely on—meaning the quality of the scene work carries even more weight. If that work was rushed or superficial, key factors may have been missed.

2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?

Pickup trucks, especially those used frequently or with prior wear, are susceptible to mechanical failures that don’t always leave obvious signs. If the steering system locked up, the brakes failed, or the suspension faltered, that could explain why the vehicle left its lane and struck a tree. Without a thorough post-crash inspection—something that isn’t always done unless someone demands it—those possibilities stay buried.

3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?

The F-150 likely contains an event data recorder that logs critical information: speed, steering, braking, seatbelt use. A connected phone may also provide insight into the driver’s behavior leading up to the crash—whether it confirms distraction or clears it. If there were nearby traffic or security cameras, they could offer additional clarity. Without this data, the investigation relies too heavily on guesswork.

Looking at the aftermath of a wreck is one thing—understanding how and why it happened is something else entirely. That kind of clarity doesn’t come by accident; it comes from asking the right questions.

• Serious single-vehicle crashes need thorough scene reconstructions to reveal true causes.
• A mechanical problem may have made the driver unable to avoid the crash.
• Electronic and video data could answer key questions the physical evidence can’t.